Shadow Me
by YamiYugiPuzzleshipper
Summary: After the events of Behind You, Yugi is forced to deal with a deadly consequence for invoking magic beyond his control. DARK!Puzzleshipping AU
1. Chapter I

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Yu-Gi-Oh!**

 **Edit/Update Schedule: I'm going to try (again) for bi-weekly updates**

 **Chapter Rating: MA (Mature Adult) because Yugi and Yami have some more fun physical exercises together. Yay for lemons!**

 **Warning: Same as before; cursing varies from mild to excessive. Season 0 Yami is a bit more unhinged as he was in _Behind You._**

 **Note: There are various/copious mentions of blood, some graphic images of death, sensual moments and feelings, touches of violence/abuse, slight OOCness but it's due to stress (and it's mostly going to be from Yugi whose going to suffer pretty badly where Yami is involved and choices he makes in order to help Yami), slight touches of depression, possible triggers**

 **The canon background for the Millennium Items is twisted SPECTACULARLY for a VERY good reason that will become more apparent in later sequels. The background for Shadow Games and the Shadow Realm will be changed somewhat as well. Character backgrounds will be twisted, though not too much (that may change depending on the direction I go with later installments in the series).**

Part I

Chapter I

The dark red eyes glittered and sharpened. The pupils flipped and dilated, becoming nothing more than tiny slits. The smaller boy watched him curiously from the corner of his eye. The sex scene in the movie did not seem to be doing more than frustrating the teen at his side.

Yugi could feel it licking at his insides, begging for attention and ignorance all at once. In the darkness, the boy's eyes seemed to glow. It was almost as if his gaze were absorbing the rainbow of color from the screen in front of them. Every image seemed to be drawn into those gleaming feral irises. The colors reflected there were drained and left swallowed away amidst a sea of crushed rubies littering a deep pool of blood.

"Are you okay?" he finally asked. It came out slightly cheeky, amused, but all laughter died away when the other boy turned his head. Yugi nearly flinched. The red orbs glowed, flaring, and fire danced against heavily distorted black pupils. Cut into slits as they were, it was almost like staring into the eyes of a serpent preparing its fangs for attack.

His voice dipped dangerously, alluring and seductive. "The movie is shit," he purred, voice disdainful and full of hate. "I find it a waste of my time to suffer through it."

Yugi cringed. He had been attempting to get closer to the other boy and now it was clearly backfiring.

A month had passed since he had allowed him to remain in the house as he wanted. He'd convinced him to do so, against the other's wishes. Yami had made it rather clear before then that he had not wanted to remain there. And Yugi had convinced him to do so in order to help him to ease the burden of fear and worry that always claimed him when they were separated.

It had only been about four months since they had met to begin with. And it had only been a week since they had had sex. He had convinced Yami to stay with him after they'd had sex—the one thing Yami had desired from his existence altogether—and Yami had held true to this arrangement. But their first round had exhausted him and left Yami energized enough to nearly leave him behind without a second look. It had been somehow devastating to him, despite knowing that Yami only meant to use him…

It had been a disaster in that Yami had been freaked out by the idea of what he was meant to do. He'd pressured himself into scaring himself. And he'd been unable to properly top their first time, though he'd managed the second.

The biggest problem between them, however, was that speaking to him was like stepping about a landmine. Anything could set the boy off. A single word could make every hair life on the back of his neck and his teeth flash like a dog's in open warning and threat. A single wrong movement might make him strike out.

Yami was lethal. He was a powerhouse. He could crush Yugi's jaw if he so desired. He could rip his throat out. He could beat his skull in if he should get it in his head to do so. He could rip his head off his body.

And if he were not careful, Yugi could trigger an unfavorable response. He had to struggle to navigate the other boy's temperament, his strength, his passions.

It drove him mad. It sent him spiraling. It made his heart lurch and pound. It made his lungs constrict painfully. Trying to convince him to stay the first time had been nearly impossible. But he was finding attempting conversation with him was like trying to block a rabid wolf from sinking its teeth into his skin.

"Okay…so…do you want to watch something else?"

The red-eyed teen curled his lips back, leaning forward so that his breath ghosted over his lips. "What other videos do you have but for porn?" he hissed. He gestured at the screen hatefully, narrowing his eyes into slits. "Your whole _selection_ has this pathetic pattern of human relations. I wish to watch something that doesn't have something so _stupid_."

Yugi lowered his eyes to the other boy's lips for a brief second. He let out a soft snarl that rattled the small teen enough to look up again. He nearly shivered in frustration; the temperature of the room dropped. He couldn't tell if it was the boy next to him or simply the air conditioning turning on again. Yami's mood so often made his aura more apparent, pressing upon the air so terribly that it could freeze someone in the same room with him. His power could suffocate and his mood made the temperatures fluctuate at times.

And he had the feeling it was Yami's aura now which upset the temperature now. Yugi had overlooked his temper, he realized. He had overlooked it when Yami had begun to lose his patience with the movie playing in front of them.

"Um… Sure, I mean, not all of them are rated R, Yami," Yugi stated, clearing his throat and licking his lips awkwardly. He swallowed hard. More often than not the red-eyed teen's frustration brought about sexual desires from him. His voice would make Yugi squirm and occasionally he'd think stupidly of seducing him.

But he'd known from the moment they'd met that the distraction was something he couldn't give into. It was dangerous to look away from the other for even a second when he was upset. Yami was likely to lash out and try to tear him open rather than welcome an advance.

It didn't matter that he thrived off Yugi's sexual energy for even the smallest of seconds.

"Let's find something PG-13 or something and—"

"I am not in the mood to do that," Yami snapped, rolling his eyes and turning away. He narrowed his gaze and peered at the screen for a moment or so longer. "I am truly not. I do not understand how you can keep your eyes glued to a screen like this for so long. All it has done is make me want to bash my head in. And now my eyes hurt. Thank you for the experience, _Yugi_."

He hated it when Yami said his name like that. It was so cruel, full of open hatred and anger. By the gods, why did he have to sneer so _often_?

But Yugi knew he could never blame him for it. After all that had happened, he could not blame Yami in the slightest for hating him. He had not meant to bring him here with the Puzzle like he had. It had been nothing more than an accident. He had not even known what he was getting into when he had put the artifact together.

His grandpa had given it to him when he was eight and it had taken him just as many years to complete. At sixteen he had barely managed to finish it as it was. At sixteen he had barely managed to finish it as it was. And because he had not made a wish upon completing it—something that his grandpa had always teased him about when he had seen him working on it—the magic had formed something that he had never thought possible.

It had given shape to a creature that was more dangerous than death itself. It had used half of his soul to form a human shell of flesh and blood for a god. A god that hated imprisonment, longed for his death, and wanted nothing more than to bathe in his blood.

"Do you want some aspirin or something?" he asked quietly, frowning. He flinched when Yami glanced at him with a look of disbelief. "O-or not. I mean, aspirin is for headaches. Um…n-never mind."

"You're an idiot," the other boy growled. He settled back into the cushions and glared at the screen. His lashes cast dark hideous shadows over his gaze, making the red as dark as spilled wine.

"So, then…what do want to do?" Yugi finally asked, swallowing hard when the other's head swung around to face him. His eyes glittered with some of the light in his irises, making his skin crawl for a split second. "I mean…do you have anything you want to do?"

Yugi stayed silent for a moment, tilting his head. He watched his jaw work as Yami debated the question. The look in his eyes said h was hardly amused. His jaw's clenched muscles twitching beneath his skin said he was thinking hard. His legs were drawn together, but they did not cross. Yugi took that as a sign that the boy was at least partially open to suggestions. His arms were crossed across his thighs, fingers digging into his knees, and Yugi felt sick.

He'd overlooked the pain Yami was suffering through.

How long had he been doing this?

Yugi had never been that great at body language but he had learned how to read it from interactions with the other boy. He had the sharpest of tongues and the nastiest bit when he got the chance. So Yugi had tried to work on it. He had spent several days after school just researching it. Some of the cues the teen gave, however, were far from what he had found in books. Most of his knowledge had proven to be completely useless.

His eyes normally gave him more answers than questions. His body mismatched so much of what he had read and learned form those textbooks. But his eyes gave him all of the knowledge he needed. He would give him looks of hatred or curiosity or lust or anything that Yami truly cared to show.

It was truly the only way he could read him in the first place.

Now he was trying to search for something he could not find. The red irises were blank with the lack of lighting. The other teen narrowed his eyes faintly, glancing sideways towards the screen. Yugi watched light bounce across his irises, dancing in his whites before disappearing completely.

"I don't want to do anything," he finally growled. He huffed softly and shook his head. "I honestly just don't give a flying fuck towards the idea of spending time with you right now."

Yugi flinched once more, but he still could not blame him. His hatred was warranted. And it was not as if Yami hadn't made his position clear when it came to spending time with him. He had bared his teeth, glaring at him with pure resentment and even straightened his back in open threat. He had not backed off only because he knew for a fact that the other would not hit him. Yami could not risk doing such a thing if only because of the retribution dealt with such an action. He also suspected he had hardly been as nasty as he would have been otherwise.

It had been questionable the first time he'd considered it. He'd thought he'd overlooked Yami's usual ferocity somehow. And yet, to his amazement, he'd found himself soon believing otherwise. He had been right. Yami had not been nearly as vicious as he would have been otherwise.

And it made Yugi wonder if he was sick. It made him fearful at times. And, yet, other times he thought Yami might simply mellowing out with exposure to him. Neither idea had gotten him an answer. The boy had refused to acknowledge both though he knew he could hear them somewhere in his subconscious where it mingled with Yugi's.

"Okay," he finally sighed. He slouched in defeat for a sing moment, then moved to sit up again. He would never make him stick around, though he did have the power to do so by all means.

Yami could easily be controlled. All it took was for Yugi to open his mouth and say the words necessary. But he had never had the strength to do it, to strip another of their free will. And he refused to consciously do it, not unless the situation was so dire it absolutely demanded it. Yugi hoped no such situation ever came up, however.

The boy in front of him was the personification of passion and power and he could never will himself to try to smother something like that. It hurt just entertaining the thought. And even if it passed through his mind for all of a split second it made Yugi feel as if he might vomit.

He had to learn to deal with the power that had been so stupidly placed in his hands like this. He had never known of such a thing before. He had never known of the control he possessed now. And sometimes, when the other boy was particularly vicious, he had the urge to do it.

He was struck with the idea to use his power over him. It was a power that was not truly his. It was a power that was not given with conscious consent. It had been stripped from Yami by force and placed in Yugi's hands.

And that was a mistake because Yugi was aware of the unbalanced mentality that came through him when he so much as thought about it. It lingered constantly. It never left him. Yugi had an obsession with power. He knew that. When he played games, it was not hard for him to overpower others. And in games like Duel Monsters, he used decks so powerful he could win in mere seconds if he so much as tried.

He had a keen sense of obsession with power. He had an addiction to that power.

And he did not know how to kick it.

"So, what do you plan to do then?"

His red eyes gleamed like daggers painted in blood, sharp and cruel like a wolf's teeth. "I am still working to find out what I plan to do as of yet," Yami hissed coldly, getting to his feet. When he dusted himself off, it was with stiff and upset movements. He shot him a furious look after a moment, eyes cutting through his lashes as he curled his lip to show a sharper canine. "Let me be for the next few hours. I want nothing to do with you for the moment."

Yugi opened and closed his mouth, nodding slightly and sighing softly. "Yeah, okay, Yami," he muttered. He closed his eyes and listened to Yami's footfalls as he left the living room.

He heard the creak of the door, listening for the weight to be added to his bed in his room. He ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes tightly. He tugged at the strands for a long minute, shaking his head after a few moments. He could hear Yami's heartbeat somewhere in the back of his mind. It was soft and steady, and did nothing to reassure him in the slightest.

Something had been wrong with the red-eyed god for days now.

He had been anything but oblivious to it. But he had never tried to offer Yami room to approach him later. It was becoming obvious, however. And he knew that the other would never do so. Whether it was stubborn pride or pure resentment, it was clear he never would.

"How about a game of Duel monsters?" he asked three days later. It was his first attempt at the repetitive task of trying to make the other boy endure time with him. They were seated in his room. Yami was leaning against the desk and Yugi was on his bed doing homework while the god sorted through his deck.

His slender fingers halted and his eyes narrowed briefly. He tilted his head and looked at through long black spidery lashes. Both of them stared at each other for a long moment. And then the taller teen fell back against the computer chair with a look of intense boredom.

"What do I get if I win?" came out of his mouth rather than his usual " _No_ ".

Yugi watched him for a long moment, forcing his lips into a small twist of a smile. "I will make you a bargain," he stated. He sat up and watched the other boy tilt his head with growing interest. It was no secret Yami was in love with the aspect of winning and gaining ground.

Yugi had known it almost from the moment they'd crossed paths. And he suspected it was because he felt so lost and trapped in this form. It did not help that Yugi set him off so terribly as it was. He was Yami's biggest threat, after all, and he guessed he could understand that idea now.

He might have still lacked the comprehension of everything that came with it.

But he understood that at the very least.

Yugi had a small grasp of the immensity of the power he held over the boy. He was the one who wore the Puzzle and he knew the boys true name. He had named him, in fact, and he was the only one who knew his name past the initial ease of Yami. But the red-eyed teen was particularly vicious at times and he often felt the pull of his anger in his gut more than ever at times. Due to this, to the burden of knowing that Yami would always need his energy and his life force for the very task of coming to exist more fully, Yugi had made a point of wearing the Puzzle whenever he could. It went to school with him, it came to his friends' with him, it went to the arcade and back to his room.

The Puzzle, he knew, helped to channel the energy Yami needed in order to create himself firmly. He wanted to be able to help Yami mold his energy as he so needed to create his new physical form. So it was no surprise when he found Yami staring at him. And even now he was doing similarly.

"You win and we'll sleep together. I win and you have to answer any question I ask you," he said after a long moment. The other teen's red eyes narrowed into slits and the smaller boy quickly added, " _Truthfully_."

Yami smirked softly and got to his feet. "I was going to say, little game," he murmured quietly. He was leering at him slightly when he took a seat on the carpet. He failed to glance at him in any manner, nor did he so much as seem to do more than take a seat. But the invitation was clear all the same and Yugi smiled as he hurried to take a seat and join him. He felt sick, worry clenching at his insides as realization crept through him. At any moment Yami might retract the deal. There was no telling with him at times…

Slowly but surely the taller male turned his head to look at him. The light hit his face in a way that emphasized the length and darkness of his lashes. It cast long shadows upon his irises and the red danced before his eyes like flames. But the most emotion he could find there was pure cunning.

"Shall we make this more interesting?"

"More interesting?"

"Strip for me," Yami growled, reaching forward and tipping his chin up. Yugi suppressed a shiver; how had his fingers grown so damn cold already? They had failed to have sex in a while, but that shouldn't have caused such a drastic drop in his body heat. Yami should have been several degrees warmer than the temperature of the room around them, but he felt as if it were one and the same at the moment. Yugi almost wanted to crawl into his lap, apologizing and offering himself up, but the thought passed as swiftly as it had come. Yami had begun stroking his jawbone with his thumb, soft and chilling even as Yugi's own skin seemed to burn feverishly. "Every time I hit your life points, strip."

The smaller teen nearly closed his eyes, enticed by the idea as he licked his lips. He wanted more than ever to simply draw him closer and hold him as if to warm him with his own body heat. But he'd suggested the game for a reason. And he could not afford to deter from it now.

Pushing away his desire to please the other boy and thus himself was one of the hardest things he had ever done. His mind buzzed with a new, smaller lace of energy. And his heart skipped as he locked eyes with the other teen once more.

"Next time," he replied softly. Yugi reached up to pull the taller boy's hand away, fingers nestled into his cool palm. Yami tilted his head, but he remained still beyond this. And Yugi was almost shaking when he rubbed his fingertips over the lines of his palm for a long moment. He finally eventually pushed his hand away. "If I have to endure your thoughts about fucking me, I'll never get my answers, Yami."

"Smart little Yugi," he teased with a soft growl, turning to the deck in his hands. He began to separate the cards in half now, drumming his nails over the top of the cardboard slips. Yugi watched the way his fingers danced over the backs of each card, fighting back a purr at the sudden thought that crossed his mind. Yami had long, thin, nimble fingers. And he knew how to use them rather effectively, regardless of how little experience he'd had before then. He shook the idea way and Yami shot him a snicker before placing half of the cards in front of him. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah…" Yugi's head spun for a moment, lit by a million little sparks. His skin was buzzing with energy and he shivered after a moment. That one little suggestion had thrown him overboard and now he was trying to find dry land again. "I am completely ready."

He flushed as Yami snickered, a purr underlining his rich chuckles. "Good. Then let us begin, shall we? State your rules. I do not want to witness any inconsistencies later, Yugi. No surprises."

The smaller shook his head immediately. He would not want to pull a fast one on the other anyways. Yami was liable to break his jaw if he tried, no matter the consequences of his actions. And besides that, Yugi had never entertained the notion of trying to double-cross someone else like he was insinuating. The fact that Yami had bothered with agreement said much, however.

Yami was willing to extend some trust to him, no matter how limited the time frame truly was or the amount which he offered. The point was that he was reaching out. And Yugi had no right to take such a thing and run with it. It was the first time he had ever attempted something and he knew it would never come again should he abuse it.

"Right." Yugi nodded, drawing in a deep breath as he picked up his first five cards. He looked his hand over a moment, struggling to draw his thoughts together. The entire situation had him drowning, spiraling and freefalling, and it was beautiful. But it was toxic all at once as well. "So, how about this? If I get a blow to your life points—no matter how small or how I did it—I want an answer from you. Every time I ask a question, I want a truthful answer and nothing else. And then, if you can beat me completely, we'll have sex again."

Yami drew his own cards, looking them over a moment. Then he narrowed his eyes faintly and peered at him through his long lashes. His lips drew back into something a sneering laugh. "And for each infliction of your life points?" he pressed. He growled softly and raised a brow. "What do I then get, Yugi?"

"I…I won't strip for you," he answered after a moment. He struggled to keep his voice even as he shook his head. He searched his face for a single second. "We wouldn't make it to the end of the duel if I did. I have a feeling you will match me blow for blow. But for each time you inflict damage, I will give you release."

Yami's eyes widened as he stared at him, blinking slowly before growling low in his throat once more. "No matter the amount of damage?" he asked softly, somewhere between disbelieving and curious.

Yugi smiled softly, amused. Yami was double-checking his terms. He was trying to make sure he had heard him right. He was studying him now with narrowed eyes. "No matter the amount of damage," he assured. "If you want, we can shake on it…"

"…Shake on it?"

Again the blue-violet-eyed boy found himself reminded of just how little Yami actually knew. He may have been a god, powerful and dangerous, but he lacked many ideas of what human interaction might mean. He struggled to know and understand the phrases and actions which Yugi displayed. But it got worse in the fact that he refused to watch television for event the smallest social cues. But Yugi often struggled with trying to teach him. Because he himself was unable to properly judge the blank expression which so often painted itself upon the deity's face.

"It's…" Yugi shook his head slowly, closing his eyes tightly. "I give you my word. That…that's what I meant, Yami. I give you my word. I'll…give you release no matter the amount of damage inflicted to my life points."

Yami tilted his head and nodded slowly, eyes narrowing further. "And I give my word that you will have truthful answers to any question you ask—"

"Except if it makes you uncomfortable," he interjected immediately. He swallowed hard as he looked at the small teen. "I do not want you to think you have to tell me things that you would never want to say in the first place. I mean…unless I specifically say that I need the answer, then feel free to pass. And then I'll come up with a new question, okay?"

His red eyes grew a size bigger, making them almost softer in appearance, the sharper design of them dulled for a brief second. Yugi swallowed, licking his lips, and studied him a moment longer. The deity had freedom, but his predicament so often swallowed away what little joy he might have gotten from such knowledge. And so they struggled to even find the most minute sense of balance between them.

It was too often that Yami showed his resentment of him, so apparent in it that it was impossible for even Yugi to remember he was not holding him captive by will. And Yugi so often made an effort to remind him of those things, but it did nothing but further anger the deity. And he knew better than to assume upsetting him was a way to get through to him.

And so they were stuck on a precipice. They struggled and tried to regain ground, then lost it whenever the other made a move that they were not prepared for or did not appreciate. And he so often did that. He'd overstep his boundaries and Yami would become enraged. He'd snarl and snap and fight until Yugi backtracked and was forced finally to give up.

He had few opportunities to remind Yami he was not his slave.

He had few opportunities to remind Yami he was capable of ignoring what Yugi wished of him.

Finally the other boy blinked, then lowered his head. "Very well." For a moment Yami stared at him, red eyes the smallest degree suspicious. His pupils had grown somewhat blown, as if the idea had caused a rush of adrenaline to surge through him. His eyes abruptly lowered and his mouth twitched for a moment before he drew in a deep breath and, in a voice that Yugi thought almost silent, whispered, "Thank you."

"You're not my prisoner," Yugi said quietly, reminding him. He hoped it was gentler than he felt it was. And he felt sick for a moment as he stared down at his cards pointedly. His heart was in his throat and he felt as if he were burning, his skin itching and his stomach rolling.

How could he say that when his mind still circulated so constantly back to the power he had accidentally come to acquire over him? He hated himself more often than not due to this. And he could not help but understand where Yami's impatience and frustration came from. He felt sickened at times, as if he were a strange trying to reacquaint himself and failing to do so. He felt as if he might be destroyed just as Yami did at times like those.

He shook away the thought, forcing himself to breathe in deeply, and put Curse of Dragon on the field. He hesitated, peering at his cards a moment longer, and then placed three of them face down.

"Look like you're pleasuring me earlier than expected," the red-eyed teen snickered in turn. Yugi blinked, surprised when the other winked at him playfully. Gaia the Fierce Knight was put there on the carpet between them and he wagged his eyebrows around curling his tongue against the back of his teeth.

Yugi burst out laughing at the expression. "Okay, okay, give me a second," he guffawed. He shook his head, feeling warm for a moment. He wiped one of his hands on his jeans and pulled his phone from his pocket, unlocking it and pulling up the calculator. It was easier to do it this way than try to keep up in his head, though he could have if it wasn't for the lewd expression Yami was watching him with. "Two thousand life points to begin with—I have seventeen hundred. Good, okay. I just had to make sure I had some kind of idea of a score system."

Yami nodded lazily, then moved to lean back on his hands. At first Yugi wondered if it was for him, laughing at the thought, but the other boy made no move to confirm or deny the thought. He rolled his eyes and moved his card off the field, placing the other card in his hand aside.

He was met with a lazy purr when he moved around their cards to press against him lightly. The sound reverberated deep in his lungs, dancing through the air and making Yugi tremble with desire. For a moment he could do nothing but stare at the other boy, studying the shade of red that made the outer ring of his irises. They had brightened, somewhere between arousal and excitement, and he had the smallest moment in which he wished he could somehow burrow into him.

He wished again that somehow he could share his body temperature with him, that he could close his eyes and sink into him. He wished he truly was made of the same sinew and muscle and bloodstream as the other boy…

He moved his arm, wrapping it around Yami's shoulders, and pressed his lips against his for a moment. He shifted closer and the taller teen purred into his mouth. Yugi laughed into his mouth for a split second, for a moment dizzy and anxious despite his amusement at his apparent arousal. He reached down to lazily thumb his hipbone beneath his waistband.

The purring stopped in an instant. Yami snarled now, his spark of arousal so violent it made Yugi's head spin for a long moment. He pulled away from his mouth, lowering his lips to his neck and breathing in hard. Yami smelled of pine and ice and moonlight through tree branches. His pulse began to thrum, a low and steady vibration against his lips, but his skin remained cold enough that Yugi had to suppress a shiver at the feel of it. The god was so cold it reminded him of their first meeting.

His heart hurt.

His other hand reached up to slip into his hair, pulling the soft locks gently. Yami growled quietly, letting him move his head back enough to expose the underside of his jaw. Yugi kissed along it for a moment, trailing over to his ear.

"Yami…"

He couldn't properly gauge his reaction for a moment. Yami had to tip his head the smallest degree towards him for their eyes to lock. And the red gaze had narrowed, becoming calculating and cold, and Yugi studied them for a moment before breathing gently against his neck again.

Already he could feel heat settling beneath his skin, burning its way through his veins. And he felt his heart thump painfully in his throat. It felt as if he were sizzling, a sensation that Yugi had grown accustomed to formerly but felt lost with now. And for a moment he almost thought to beg Yami to run his fingers over his skin, to mold them together as one again. He'd have given anything to get rid of the feeling.

It reminded him too much of loneliness, of how desperate and unaware he had been when Yami was apart from him. And it was almost enough to make him panic for the smallest of seconds, lungs constricting in his throat and eyes squeezing shut.

He had a game to win, he reminded himself. And this was merely the god's prize for trumping him this first round. Yugi was not about to let this go too far, nor to stray into the direction he was picturing at the moment. He was not about to move too quickly either, however. If he did so, Yami gained nothing.

And it was not as if it was Yugi who needed the energy to form his body or to heal himself from past mistakes. Moving slowly would ensure that Yami was at least _mildly_ satisfied for a few minutes.

He deserved that, at the very least.

He deserved it just for putting up with him when they fought.

Yugi fought away his own impulse. It would have been easier to simply undo his own jeans and work himself into a frenzy for Yami. It was easier to simply pleasure himself than it was to do so the deity. But he snaked his hand back beneath Yami's waistband regardless. And the deity growled softly, responding more—Yugi knew—to the uncomfortable sensation of heat introducing itself to his cold skin. It stung. The smaller teen could feel it, almost as if he'd struck a match and let his finger linger a second too long.

Yami breathed unevenly for a moment, then exhaled gently into his ear. The tension left his shoulders. And Yugi felt him shift his weight to angle his hips upwards. The smaller teen licked his lips again, then worked his wrist further beneath the god's boxers, his fingers running along the skin of his pelvis for a moment. And then Yami snarled again, trembling as if he were forcing the noise from every fiber of his being.

And Yugi knew why he'd grown so still.

He'd assumed Yugi would move prematurely, that he'd forgotten what had happened the last time he'd done so. But he hadn't forgotten in the slightest. Not only had he seen stars when Yami had struck him so violently, but he'd felt his panic and his horror, the way he'd shuddered with fear for a brief moment.

Their bodies were not created equally, Yugi had found. Yami harbored a relatively powerful weakness, something that Yugi had not considered before.

His nerve endings were frail, sensitive, and he was weak to Yugi's touch when it was introduced too quickly. If Yugi did not allow him the chance to acclimate before he truly touched him, Yami would lash out as violently as he could. And Yugi could not blame him for it in the slightest. If he felt so abruptly as if he had stuck his hand in the midst of an inferno he'd have done the same.

And it was horrifying to consider that Yami constantly felt this way. He felt no better at any given time, but for when he was asleep beside him. And even then Yugi knew he was still somewhat fearful because his brows would knit together at times. He'd twitch at others, and every now and then he'd growl so softly Yugi almost could not hear it. But the quieter the other boy was, the more likely he was to lash out.

Yami may have been able to slip his hand down Yugi's pant when they were not so willing to spend time together, but the same could not be said for the smaller teen. The problem was that Yami's skin was far too sensitive and his nerves too easily damaged. And this caused him to forget that he suffered the same pain he inflicted upon Yugi. He lashed out before he could rethink the decision, his instincts and reflexes too fast to stop.

More than once Yami had proven himself incapable of being around him for too long any amount of time. He would get up out of bed and lay on the floor, sleeping there with nothing but a pillow—if Yugi offered it to him when he was awake long enough to grasp what was happening. He would sleep until Yugi would get up for school.

And Yugi was at a loss as to how to fix it. Even mild exposure to each other was doing nothing for him. It had worked at first as a small balm to the pain that their existence caused each other. But now it only seemed to make things worse.

Yugi continued stroking his skin until some of the tension loosed from Yami's tensions. The muscles in his neck relaxed a moment or so later and Yugi was relieved to no longer feel them straining beneath his skin at his touch. He pressed his palm flat against his skin, a warm presence that he could feel rapidly cooling against his skin, allowing Yami to become more comfortable with its presence as the seconds passed.

Had Yami been someone else, he was sure that he would have retained some kind of body heat in that area. But it hardly seemed true of him. And Yugi had come to the realization that he himself did not quite recover as quickly from exposure to him as he should have. His flesh would cool and remain that way even when he pulled away entirely.

His body temperature only truly seemed to change when and while they had sex. Afterwards it seemed that his own body heat could maintain Yami's for at least a handful of hours. But it would steadily drop away the more time passed without them touching. The first two days after they'd had sex, Yami had actually retained his body heat. And then it had plummeted seemingly overnight.

Despite sleeping together, despite sharing the same bed, Yami had become cold again.

Yugi had thought in the time that Yami wound up wrapped around him in his sleep that perhaps it might work again. He had been overjoyed at first with the results when he'd first become aware of it. He had been desperate for him to gain more body heat. He'd been relieved and satisfied when it happened.

He was scared, in all reality, that the lack of body heat might somehow become so deep as to kill the red-eyed boy. And it scared him so much that Yugi sometimes had to reassure himself that Yami's heart was still there, beating in his chest. He'd lay his head on his chest and close his eyes, counting the seconds between beats and simply mouth the number.

There had been too many times that he woke to Yami statuesque, with stunted breathing so soft he could not quite recall it. It was impossible to see the movements in the darkness, even amidst the drizzles of moonlight from the skylight. And Yugi would untangle himself from Yami just enough to be able to put his ear to his chest. Sometimes he could hear Yami rasp. And others the god seemed to whistle…

Yugi pulled his fingers from the god's scalp, trailing them lightly down the nape of his neck and across the knobs of his spine to settle where his shoulder blades ended. Yami shuddered beneath the touch, almost as if he were cold. But the moment passed. And, as Yugi lowered his hand towards his erection, the god seemed mostly calm.

Yugi hesitated for a long handful of seconds, checking his face for approval. Yami still seemed receptive enough, and so Yugi forced himself to relax if only slightly. But it was hard not to fear that his own thoughts had passed into the other's mind. It was not hard. It happened as often as breathing between the two of them. Yami heard his thoughts anywhere he was, regardless of whether Yugi tried to focus on him or not. And if he was not careful when he tried to think something about the other boy, Yami was alert and aware of it before it had even finished filtering through his mind.

But there was no reason for Yami to know about this. He did not need to know about how fearful Yugi was of his health. He didn't need to feel as if Yugi were yet again shortening the length of the leash he kept him on. He had so much difficulty already, just in accepting that Yugi was trying to give him room and consider his feelings before he did his own.

Yami would react worse than Yugi knew how to deal with. He knew that without question. He didn't have to stop and reconsider that at all. He knew it all too well. When it came down to it, Yami could be so volatile that Yugi often feared even breathing the wrong way. And why would he add to his miseries? Yami already struggled with the very task of breathing regularly. And to bring it to light would only make Yami react worse to his presence altogether, he knew.

Sometimes, during the night, when Yugi woke up to check on him, he would find himself even more fearful than he had begun. Sometimes when he laid his head on Yami's chest to listen, it did not rise as it was meant to. When Yami might exhale, there was a raspy quality. And inhale made no move but for a partial rise. He would pause as if to hold his breath, and then slowly he would resume drawing in air.

It was not even only that Yami was still solidifying his ties to the world by means of creation of his body. It was the statement that the deity had made months before. When Yugi had asked him if he'd ever hallucinated, Yami had told him that his lungs had not originally functioned properly. He had thought immortality was a lie, that somehow he was dying despite himself and all his power; that the state of being he was meant to exist in had failed him. He had figured out what it was that he needed to do in order to sustain himself.

But that did not stop Yugi from constantly fearing the worst. And he always worried that Yami might somehow forget the ability altogether and thus somehow pass in his sleep.

It was not the thought that Yami dying might kill as well that scared him so much. It was just the fact that it could happen. It made Yugi break into a cold sweat at night sometimes. And, every once in a while, his palms were clammy as he reached out to touch Yami. He couldn't help himself, somewhere between fear and nervousness. He couldn't stop himself.

He wanted to bite his tongue off at times. He could not imagine how terrible a fate it would be for the other boy if he were to pass somehow while unconscious and resting. The thought often made Yugi want to vomit.

Yugi shook the thought away, suppressing the violent shudder that tried to start in his shoulders. He pressed a kiss to the deity's collarbone and breathed in deeply against his skin. Whether Yami chose to properly believe in his immortality any longer or not, Yugi was unsure of which way he himself leaned on such a subject.

It was something he debated constantly. It frustrated Yugi to no end. If Yami's body was still _creating itself_ , how was he meant to believe that the other boy was truly a god, let alone immortal? It was frustrating to consider and that alone made him want to seethe. Immortality seemed weak to the inability to do something so simple as breathe properly. But he couldn't blame Yami for that in the slightest.

 _He_ had done this to the red-eyed teen after all. It was his fault that Yami was there to begin with. He'd spent eight years on a puzzle he should never have put his hands on. And he'd failed to make a wish on it as he perhaps should have. And so that magic had drawn Yami from what Yugi and his grandpa— _and_ Yami as well—considered the Shadow Realm. But the Shadow Realm was not supposed to be real.

Or at least Yugi had never considered it as such until recently. When he'd been growing up, his grandfather had teased him that if he misbehaved he would wind up there. He'd told him stories of how anyone to end up there lost any semblance of who they once were and that the darkness there tore apart every fiber of their existence.

He had grown up scared of so much as stealing a cookie without confessing later in the day. And he'd only shaken such a fear when he was around fourteen, two years shy of his age now. He'd been frustrated, had decided he no longer believed in it, and called it a day with anything to do with it. He'd still listened when his grandpa would mention something like a Shadow Game—those kept his interest—but the other aspects of it made him want to roll his eyes. Yugi had convinced himself that there was no such thing a while back, though he still found the idea of it somewhat interesting and entertaining to hear about.

But now he wondered.

Because Yami had shown up after the Puzzle was completed. And he'd seen the violent reaction the artifact had to him when he'd touched it. He'd always smelled burned flesh before then when Yami had touched it.

Yugi could not fully force away his shudder this time. He swallowed hard and bit his lip, exhaling deeply against Yami's skin. His hand crept further along the skin of the deity's pelvis, fingers pointed downward with clear intent. And Yugi paused now, considering Yami's reaction to such a touch.

His body was drawn tight with tension, his breathing coming in a sharp huff. Yugi could have mistaken it for impatience had he not known better. Yami, however, had grown incredibly still. And his breathing had grown the smallest inkling faster, shallow with something like fear or anger. Yami was not okay.

Something was definitely wrong with him.

"Yami?"

He didn't speak too loudly, somewhere between fear and uncertainty. He did not want to speak to him too loudly. He did not want to startle him if he was lost in thought. He did not want to scare him if he had heard Yugi's thoughts and were considering them in turn. Yugi felt his mouth grow dry for a moment.

Yami was silent for a long handful of seconds. He did not seem to move, nor even to breathe, for a split second. Yugi had to count in his head to keep from pulling away and visibly checking on him. He did not want Yami to respond negatively to him should he have to do such a thing—

"Keep going," Yami answered after a moment, almost dismissive in tone. He sounded faraway, almost as if he were resurfacing from a million different thoughts Yugi himself could never imagine. "I won this round."

Yugi almost hesitated. Horror surged through him, deep and swelling, and a sense of clarity drifted through him. Yami was not adapting fully to his temperature. He was not recovering. And if Yugi moved too quickly, he could possibly destroy Yami's nerve endings. But if he stopped, he risked Yami's fury.

Between the two of them, lesser evil was by far that of his anger.

It was not even a question.

But he knew well enough that Yami would be resentful of either choice.

Hurting Yami made Yugi want to vomit. He did not know if the deity could ever truly recover from it. His body heat was always so lacking. And he feared going through with pleasuring him more than ever now. It seemed so easy that he might hurt him beyond repair. And the deity might simply turn around and blame it on him entirely, sneering at him that he was capable of stopping at any time he would have liked.

And Yugi paused, wondering for a moment if Yami did not notice his hesitation or if he was simply ignoring it. His red eyes were darker, glazed over with a faraway look, and his pupils were slightly dilated.

If not for the fact that he was offering what he knew Yami desired above all else, Yugi might have thought he was attempting seduction of an unwilling partner. And the thought was enough to chill his skin.

But had Yami not just told him to continue?

Yugi shuddered faintly, but he could not stop himself from crying out. Yami had grabbed his hand, forcing it further down his pants. And the feeling of his cold skin against his made Yugi fight back a violent flinch. His stomach churned, anxiety crashing through him. He frowned, then wrapped his hand around his erection as Yami was coaxing him to do.

His stomach twitched once more and he swallowed hard. Yami did not look happy in the slightest. His expression, in fact, was a mixture of frustration and pain. Yugi drew in a deep breath, licking his lips and studying him for a moment.

"Don't…don't do that again," he mumbled pathetically. He bit his tongue to keep from saying that Yami needed to learn patience and not rush such a thing for the sake of saving himself such pain.

But to do so would alienate him. It would alienate Yami altogether. And, to do so would cause the deity no small amount of discomfort and hatred. He knew more than ever that Yami would simply grow worse, stewing in his anger and eventually pushing him to simply lash out. He would strike out against Yugi in mere seconds if he so felt threatened. And he knew that Yami would feel such the moment it should happen that he opened his mouth.

Yugi squeezed softly, a slow and easy touch that the other teen nodded at slightly. He met Yami's eyes for a moment, studying him; testing the waters was the most Yugi could possibly do without risk of hurting the other boy.

Yami had the ability to ride upon impulse, but the liberty was not shared with Yugi.

Yugi leaned forward a little further, balancing more pointedly on his knees and moving to straddle him more fully. It was somehow shocking to him that Yami had not gone flaccid beneath his touch.

He himself had often felt his mood turn elsewhere when Yami touched him with hands that were too cold. And sometimes he had to wonder if Yami's frayed nerve endings perceived far more than his own did in their fully developed form.

Sometimes Yugi truly expected to find that some touch had rendered Yami numb, incapable. He worried that the damage was irreversible, like third degree burns, the nerves shot and frayed. How Yami could manage that if it was possible and still bring himself to be around him was another question that the small teen doubted he ever wished to have the answer to.

And yet he knew it already, as horrifying as it was.

Survival drove Yami.

Yami would do anything it took in order to ensure his own survival. He had proven such multiple times; the very fact that he remained near Yugi was a testament in itself. Yami would have risked death if he had not come to be around him more often than he was comfortable. But he was _driven_ to survive and his hatred for Yugi could be quelled if only mildly by that need to exist.

So he remained there. And he struggled so often.

And he fought Yugi tooth and nail every few seconds.

When emotion was showed him, he sneered at its existence.

Yugi blinked. But he still pumped his hand slowly, breathing in deeply.

But Yami's body was too tightly drawn to gain pleasure from the sensation. And he was almost ready to snarl at him to simply cease such actions. But the idea of exposing the melancholy biting at his insides made him reluctant. And he swallowed hard at the very thought. To do so meant that Yugi would know his weakness. And that was something he could not allow.

He would get his release.

But whether it did anything for him was another thing entirely. That was a question he did not know the answer to yet.

Yami leaned forward, nearly bracing himself against Yugi's shoulder, and pressed his mouth into the hollow of his neck. Yugi frozen beneath his touch, clearly startled. His other hand caught on his shoulder, squeezing once, but he did nothing more than wait. Making contact with him, skin against skin, holding him as he was, did nothing for him. He did not gain access to his thoughts, nor the reason he seemed to remain flinching so often before him now.

And this would have to be added to the various problems he was suffering now.

Yami nibbled at the soft skin, ignoring the heat there. The difference in temperature made him feel as if his skin might melt beneath his touch. A snarl built in his chest, his bones aching, as he focused on the heavy pulse of Yugi's artery against his lips there. He closed his eyes tightly. He knew that Yugi would glance up at his face in a moment. He knew it all too well…

He would look to him for reassurance, for guidance…

And so feigning pleasure was by far easier than exposing his mounting weakness.

The moment passed quickly. And neither of them could pinpoint how or when it came to fade away. Yugi was trying to resist the urge to whimper or flinch as Yami's teeth picked at his skin. The touch was gentle, but Yugi felt as if his canines grazed the surface softly with the desire to sink straight through his flesh.

But his hand was somewhat—some _how_ —sticky. It was a miniscule touch of what he knew to be much greater in quantity before. His immediate thought was that it had to be pre-cum. But then he realized, startled, that Yami had stopped moving. And, when he continued his movements, Yami snarled quietly as if he wished for nothing more than to lash out at him.

Yugi released him, startled by the sound as it burned in his ears. He blinked once, then twice, and slowly removed his hand. He swallowed hard as the reality of it set in. but neither of them mentioned how weak the sensation was, nor how it failed to last even a second. Instead Yami shrugged and Yugi got to his feet. He felt sick as he looked at his hand and then to the deity and away again.

"Give me a second," he mumbled, wandering off in the direction of the bathroom adjacent his room.

Yami watched him go, but made no noise to acknowledge his statement. Instead he narrowed his eyes, swinging around to look at the cards in front of him. For a moment the print seemed almost to blur before his gaze. His line of vision was dizzy at the edges, swelling and dancing with ripples of darkness abound the corners.

Then, abruptly, it cleared again.

Yami growled low in his throat. His chest felt as if it were restricting, his lungs aching softly. And, slowly, the deity reached out to grab at the deck beside him.

He struggled to focus, eyes narrowing further until he could see almost nothing through his lashes any longer. His mind grew blank, blackened almost, and he fought away frustration and mounting hatred. He felt sick and dizzy for a moment, though the feeling of his throat burning with pain seemed to calm somewhat. And slowly it all began to clear.

In the center of his skull something seemed to flare brightly, the pain growing and dangerous and swelling beneath his skin. It flashed so terribly that his eyes burned with the effort and he hissed out a disturbed, frustrated breath. Then, as if seeping upwards from the depths of a darkened sea, the picture began to form.

It was a mammoth of bones, pure skeleton, charging forward, caught in print on paper.

Yami pulled his hand away slowly, feeling rather detached from the sensation. His limb felt as if it were not his own, as if it were numb to his control. His fingers felt colder, frozen almost, as if his body were caught by ice and imprisoned there.

He blinked slowly, red eyes falling upon his nails as if something might be wrong with them visibly. There was nothing there, he knew, but it made him drop his hand to his lap. And he was almost horrified to realize he was unable to feel even the fabric of his jeans for a split second.

"You okay?"

"If I wasn't I would not be here."'

The answer was spoken in such a low, cold tone that Yugi nearly flinched. But, instead, horrified and somehow fascinated at the same time, he wandered past him to take his seat again. He had just watched him stare at his hand as if it were the limp limb of a discarded puppet. He had not even seemed to recognize it as his own. And his eyes had seemed so strangely glassy, clearing abruptly only seconds before Yugi had spoken. He could not shake the horror which formed a pit within his stomach. He could not stop himself wondering at it all childishly now, eyes flickering about Yami's face for a moment.

"You should zip your pants."

"If you win, I might consider it."

Yugi snorted, unable to stop himself. The banter was effective and warm in his gut and he smiled lopsidedly, shaking his head. He reached over to draw a new card, his worry momentarily forgotten though it still lurked in the recesses of his mind. He could not bring it up to the other, however. Yami's wrath would be the next to be inflicted should he make such a misstep.

"All right, so it looks like you have to answer my question," he announced. He grinned wider, winking playfully at the other boy. Yami tilted his head to the side as Yugi placed the card down with a triumphant gleam in his eyes. He wrinkled his nose, raising a brow, and then discarded Gaia.

"Very well. Ask your question."

Yugi began to open his mouth but then silenced himself. Yami was staring at him lazily now, waiting for him to speak. He saw only pure cunning in those predatory eyes, red gaze burning into his with something like mocking laughter at the edges. Yugi's stomach twisted painfully, his throat feeling tight and constricted.

"You…you won't tell me what I want to know…will you?"

"I gave agreement to do so, just as you said that I could omit should I so wish it." Yami's eyes narrowed into slits now and his lip curled, a snarl beginning to come over his countenance for a brief moment. When he exhaled once more, he blinked his eyes open further and tilted his head. "Have these terms changed?"

"No…but I don't like the look in your eyes, Yami."

"Yes, well, allow me to pretend to give a shit," he drawled. His lips drew into a wide smirk and his eyes lost their narrowed status, boring into his as he leaned forward a little closer. His expression had grown keener, sharp and dangerous. "Why don't you go ahead and ask your question and then we'll see what will happen?"

Yugi frowned for a long moment, studying him. Something about his expression now seemed daunting and perhaps mildly confusing, insulting in some way. He suppressed a shiver and his stomach lurched as dizziness swamped him for the smallest of moments. "What did you agree to?" he finally mumbled. He blinked at him, swallowing hard as he pressed into a more direct confrontation.

And he did not know in the slightest if this was something he might be able to handle.

The other boy blinked slowly. The question had clearly startled him and he furrowed his brows as he stared back at him. "Is that your question?" he finally returned, confused as he tilted his head to the side. He sounded halting in the way he spoke and his red eyes were mystified.

"No—we're going over the rules again."

"Again?"

" _Again_."

Yami blinked once slowly. He peered at him as if he could not understand what it was that he meant to truly say to him. And then, slowly, he straightened his back. A momentary burst of hatred made his eyes brighter, his pupils seeming to flicker and darken impossibly. Yugi felt haunted looking into them, his reflection there as if against a blackened mirror, and the ventablack color seemed to twist and pulsate outward. "You made me agree to answer your questions truthfully unless I feel the need to omit." Yami fell silent for a long moment. When Yugi merely searched his face, wondering if he understood the truth of the words, the deity barked, " _Speak, damn you_!"

Yugi flinched beneath the power of the statement, feeling almost compelled to cower away. His blood was pounding in his ears. His heart trembled in his throat. He swallowed heavily. His lungs constricted. The sensation was alien, bordering on unholy. And he nearly shook, pain coursing through him.

"Y-you said…t-that you don't remember all of what happened completely when the Puzzle brought you here, right?" Yugi mumbled. He lowered his eyes to just beneath the other's gaze. The oppressive aura in the room pushed on him harder than ever. And it was impossible now to raise his eyes. But he could detect the nod he was given in response. "Do you remember…anything else now or is it all still a blank?"

Yami remained silent a moment. It was not hesitation which held his tongue, but a growing bewilderment at such a topic. He had never truly considered that Yugi might be curious about such a thing. And now his mind derailed from a multitude of thoughts he had been formerly chasing. Now they scattered and he blinked slowly, narrowing his eyes as he considered.

His lips drew down into a frown. And for a moment he considered how it was that he was meant to answer. There were many things that sprang to mind first. Most of them were nasty, derogatory. But it was clear that he had already pressed too much of his will onto the blue-violet-eyed boy as it was.

Demeaning him was nothing necessary.

"There…are bits and pieces." He paused, his tongue pressing into the roof his mouth. He considered the words for a moment, trying to puzzle together what it was that he meant to say. And then he ducked his head, locking eyes with the other boy.

The immediate effect was that Yugi's gaze grew wide and startled. He looked as if he might leap to his feet and flee at any moment. His body was unnaturally tense, still and perhaps faintly skittish. The deity did nothing to ease the boy's fear, however, and straightened some to fight away a smirk.

Yugi was unable to look away, he realized. He was frozen, staring at him. As Yami had expected, the human boy could not so much as turn away. He could not so much as get up on his own at the moment. He had no longer pressed his will upon him, but Yugi was caught in a place between shock and enchantment. He was showing exactly the normal sight of a mortal before a deity…

"I am still remembering things. Some of it is nothing more than a black hole in my consciousness. As far as I am aware, the Puzzle was— _perhaps_?—mine at one point or another." He tilted his head and Yugi seemed to lose some of his tension, relaxing now. He was not as statuesque now, shifting his weight and studying him. He blinked bright blue-violet eyes, but the fear was still there and Yami nearly snickered in amusement. "Something must have happened and I found myself in the Shadow Realm. When you began to piece the Puzzle together, it started to pull me out. You finished the Puzzle, and now I am here."

Yugi opened his mouth to continue. His shoulders rose slightly as if he was suppressing a shiver, and he looked friendly and amused. The room was no long as cold and Yami could see that he was comfortable now.

And that he'd forgotten their agreement.

He raised a brow cynically.

And Yugi closed his mouth again, frowning at him as if in puzzlement.

"I believe it was one question and answer," Yami said slowly, voice mildly mocking, "and then it became my turn, _yes_?"

"Huh?" Yugi muttered, sounding almost flustered for a moment. And the smallest hint of color dusted his cheeks before he sighed softly and nodded. "Right, yeah, it's your turn, sorry."

Yami smirked at him. Frustration continued to thrum beneath his skin. His eyes narrowed and he almost forgot himself for a brief moment. Then he halted, realization coming through him. He drew a card, unsurprised by the Mammoth Graveyard monster he'd drawn. He looked down at the other five he had put aside, drawing them up and considering, and then replaced them face down on the carpet once more.

"It is your turn again," he answered after a moment. Lazily he blinked at Yugi, studying his slight frown, and tilted his head the smallest degree. "Ask your next question. I do not have any cards to remove yours."

In fact, now that he considered it, should he remember correctly, Yugi had only two or three as strong as or stronger than the monster on the field now. There was the magician in black, with the purple—or _pink_?—markings in their clothing. There was the magician in purple, though Yami had torn it in half formerly and Yugi had heartbrokenly taped it together with a shaky smile and reassurance to him. And then there was the demon made of bones, with huge claws and wings like leathery membrane…

Those three, if he remembered right, were Yugi's strongest cards.

"Oh…okay." Yugi sat up a little straighter. He seemed somewhat pleased, Yami noted. But he also saw him falter for a brief moment, looking down at the card in front of him. He grimaced, shaking his head. "I'll remove him after this turn. I don't think it's fair for a card to stay on the field more than two turns when it's pretty obvious he's one of my stronger."

"Is he?" Yami muttered, narrowing his eyes curiously. He looked down at the card, at the demon of purple decayed muscle against a body of pure white skeleton. "Yes, I suppose Summoned Skull would be one of the strongest."

"Yeah…I…" Yugi opened his mouth once, then twice, and slowly closed it entirely. He did not seem as if he knew what he might say, but the deity hardly cared. And Yugi seemed to realize this as well. His eyes grew slightly wider as realization crept through him now.

He did not have the time to risk wasting on picking his words carefully. Yami might grow bored at any moment. He might get up at any second and wander off on his own again. There was nothing Yugi could do to keep him there should he decide to do so.

How often was it that Yami had done that already? Yugi had lost count. And it was not always as if Yami seemed to do so deliberately. At times he would seemingly forget that they were in the midst of doing something. He would abruptly get up and escape before Yugi could even acknowledge the fact he might be leaving. The deity moved too quickly. He was too stealthy. And he always had to struggle to understand when it was that Yami was or wasn't in the room with him.

"What did you do to Ushio?"

Yami blinked wide eyes, freezing in place. He looked confused, startled by the mere question. His head tilted, his pupils becoming mere pinpricks. The edges of them bled into his irises, the colors swirling together as if they were two pools of paints that had merged unevenly together. His mouth opened from one side at first, as if he were trying to remember how to move muscles that he no longer remembered owning.

Then his lips twisted backwards, showing his teeth in a snarl. But the anger died abruptly and he seemed more confused than anything. Yugi could not understand if he was frustrated or if he were simply too startled to answer him for a moment. And the deity made it hard to guess which might be more likely an explanation.

"You saw the newspaper."

It was as if it were the only thing Yami might think to say. The deity abruptly reached for the next card, as if to draw it into his hand. And Yugi let out a sharp disgruntled noise. The sound made Yami pause, eyes flicking up from beneath his lashes to peer at him in puzzlement.

Yes, he'd seen the newspaper article. He'd seen the report on the news as well. He'd watched as the woman had struggled to fully report on the matter. The reporter had struggled to even so much as speak properly throughout, horrified by the sheer brutality of the kill in and of itself.

Yami had pulled Ushio's arms from their sockets. He'd stomped on his chest so hard that he'd pulverized his ribs to dust. His organs had been almost nothing but paste by then. And his skull had been stomped into near nonexistence, a splattering of red blood and gray-pink brain matter.

Yugi had not gotten this information from the article or the video. Instead he'd gathered it from the various nightmares he'd had since finding out. Close proximity to Yami had caused him to see things that he did not recall for himself. And he'd dreamed of Yami attacking Ushio more often not…

"Damn it, Yami—"

"What? You said it yourself," the deity snarled, voice low and angry. Then he drew in a deep breath, snickering as his lips drew into a sneer. "You said that you could only stop me if you were around when I attacked. And technically, even _then_ you said you could only _try_ to stop me. You were not there. You could not try. I killed him."

Yugi opened his mouth to snap at him, but the air rushed from his lungs abruptly. His chest ached and he swallowed hard as he considered him for a moment. Yami was staring at him through his lashes. His expression was cold and dark. His body had drawn itself tighter together.

His shoulders had risen. His lips were pulled back to show his teeth. And Yugi swore he thought he could _feel_ the snarl threatening to build in Yami's chest. The small teen looked away after a moment, closing his eyes for a moment.

And then the room's temperature gradually became the smallest degree warmer.

"We can still use spell cards, yes?" Yami asked suddenly, curiously. He had a card in his hand when Yugi opened his eyes to look at him in bewilderment. "Or trap?"

"Huh? Oh… I guess I thought you would already know about them," Yugi replied with a small tilt of his head. Alarms went off in his head, screeching, and his stomach lurched for a brief moment. He blinked in bewilderment. "I mean, you always hear my thoughts, so I thought…"

"No, I thought I would give you privacy this time," the red-eyed boy sneered with a roll of his eyes. He narrowed his eyes and glanced at him coldly. "You are not so terribly amazing that I must have my mind merged with yours at all times, Yugi. Even I grow rather bored of it all."

Yugi opened his mouth to answer, but the other steamrolled over his efforts.

"One can only take so much after hearing of the same bullshit all of the time," he continued, though now he raised his voice a pitch, perfectly mirroring Yugi's own in a sneer. "'Is Yami a god or just egotistical?', 'I wonder if Mom is home today', 'I wonder if Grandpa needs help in the shop today', 'Tea looks really nice today. I wonder if she'll spread her legs for me—'"

"You are such a fucking jackass," Yugi cut in, unable to stop his laughter. He shook his head, glaring at Yami playfully for a moment. "I thought we agreed to stop saying those things about her and Serenity."

"I would never surrender such a precious source of amusement," Yami answered, smirking at him. It was cruel and mocking, but there was also something that seemed almost friendly in his eyes for a brief moment. "What _actually_ happened is that you _suggested_ it and I mere nodded because I wished for you to shut up."

"You're such an ass." Yugi shook his head again, smiling widely. He chuckled and looked away to the carpet. "Anyways, about your question. If the traps inflict damage to life points or they can destroy a monster, then you can use them. Spell cards that power up the monsters can only be used if you have a card that it can be applied to at that moment. Otherwise you might as well discard it."

Yami nodded at him, Yugi noticed. His red eyes were focused on his face and Yugi offered him a small smile as he raised his eyes completely to his again.

"Burning Land won't work, for instance, since it's a field card. Dragon Treasure wouldn't work unless you had Winged Dragon or Curse of Dragon in your hand. Monster Reborn can be used, since it will give you a monster. Also, if we play a card that is the same in attack, we can go ahead and discard them both. That will be considered a draw."

"And defense?"

"You can go ahead and play a card in defensive mode. It'll last two turns just like the stronger cards."

"And a card like Mirror Force?"

"If one of us plays a monster that is too strong to remove or…we think we should skip out on the other's win, we can play it to remove the card."

Yami watched him for a moment. His red eyes seemed almost curious and puzzled once more before he nodded. "Monster effects?" he asked cautiously, as if he did not know what else he might say.

"Since we're playing one card at a time aside from traps or spells, they're really kind of useless…"

"Good. No face-down monsters, then?"

"None at all. Flip effects don't work either."

"Even better."

When Yami placed Mammoth Graveyard on the field, he hardly looked confident. And he did not so much as blink when Yugi placed Stone Soldier in defense mode. Yami complied in putting his monster aside, leaning back on his hands and waiting for him to speak now. He did not seem at ease with answering questions.

But he did not look as if he might argue either.

He did not seem as if he might get up and leave. He did not seem as if he felt he was being interrogated. He looked almost as if the outcome of the cards meant nothing to him. He looked almost as if he already knew who might win and had no care for the path to such a conclusion.

"So…why do you kill?"

Yami looked at him through hooded eyes. A smirk tugged at the left side of his mouth and he watched him curiously. "Energy, Yugi. My entire body revolves around energy." He snorted after a moment, then chuckled. "It's another way of getting energy. It helps when you aren't putting out."

"Oh, yes, thank you for making me sound like a fuckboy."

"You're welcome."

Yugi blinked at the dismissive, amused response. Then he laughed and glared at him. "You're always such a little shit," he snickered. He couldn't help but fold away beneath Yami's unapologetic nature, shaking his head as he studied him.

He had so often said something nasty in a tone that would make him feel almost sick. And then he would laugh, unable to stop himself. Yugi had, for whatever reason, been unable to keep from snickering the moment Yami spoke out against him in such a manner. Though their amount of exposure to one another was limited for the most part, he could not think of a proper number to encompass the many times.

There were so many that he could not help but feel even more amused.

Yami drew another card, then flicked it away and hummed. "Ask another."

Yugi frowned, but he could not see the card that had landed facedown in his discard pile. He supposed it could have been Burning Land or Full Moon, or anything like those two.

"Um…okay…" Yugi licked his lips and chewed at his cheek for a moment. His eyes flickered to the other's, losing all remnants of laughter and regarding him seriously. The deity stared back at him with the same lazy expression he'd worn so often. "You said before that Ushio had encroached on your domain… So am _I_ your domain or is it something else?"

"I see no reason why you feel the need to ask such questions when the person they are so heavily focused upon is _dead_. Why must you question me about someone whose rotting _corpse_ was found in a _nameless alley_? Do you find a morbid sense of justice in questioning me about his death?"

Yugi faltered, listening to his intense snarling. He blinked as the taller teen bristled, shaking his head so sharply that Yugi nearly flinched. He swore he heard the bones snap but he could not tell if it was true or if it was simply his imagination.

"If you don't want to—"

"This must make you feel _so_ special," Yami spat, nearly frothing at the mouth. His hatred made his voice deeper, his eyes burning and his lips pulling back to show his sharp canines. His voice was spiteful, singeing him with obvious distaste. Growing disgust crashed through him. "Yes, you are, as the owner of the Puzzle, my domain."

"Yami, I didn't mean to—"

"You ask me for answers and yet you do not like the ones I supply," Yami interrupted in a sharp, cold tone. His voice was laden with rage and Yugi flinched back, his insides twisting painfully. "You waste my time with such foolishness."

Yugi flinched again, looking away. He opened his mouth, perhaps to say that this game was a bad idea or maybe to apologize. But the words, unformed but somehow resting on the tip of his tongue regardless, fell into nothingness.

Yami's voice came out abruptly calm and quiet now. It was as if the life had been drained from him. His anger was too wild for him to sustain any longer in his tired state.

"It is not as if I might possess a territory within this world. But, it is not so much you or the Puzzle that make you such. It is the mere fact that I am bound to both. If someone is to strike out against you or lay a hand on you, they place themselves within my line of sight. They place themselves in my territory and I am allowed then to do with them what I wish."

"Which mean you plan to kill them."

"You know this. So why even bother to say it?"

"Because, it's not right, Yami. You shouldn't—"

"Then I suppose that it is _I_ who should waste away instead, yes?" Yami said coldly, red eyes gleaming with hate. "Would that please you, Yugi? Is that what you truly desire?"

Yugi froze in place, horrified by the very statement. Did he really think he would rather he get hurt? That he would rather have him die than someone else? That he hated him so much?

"You can't really think—"

Another card was flicked away. The force Yami used made the card collide with a strangely heavy noise. Yugi halted, eyes wide in alarm. The other boy was watching him with such cold ferocity that he felt as if his spine were turning into ice. His body was held tight with the terrible tension. From beneath the shadows of his lashes, his gaze was so dark as to be a uniform blackness. And its depth was fathomless.

He watched him as if he might strike him. And then, finally, the deity very slowly pulled his hand away from the deck. He straightened his spine, hissing, "Another question, Yugi."

Yugi blinked, unable to process the words. He couldn't help but lower his eyes. Yami was tapping the back of one of his cards with his nails. And the noise was so unnaturally keen it made his head spin for a brief moment. His attention made Yami turn his hand away.

But it brushed against the inside of his wrist. And from there the flesh split as if touched by a knife. A small trail of bright red began to trickle downwards. The sting they both felt made Yugi nearly flinch away.

"Another. Question. Yugi. Seeing as you are so _fucking curious about me_."

Yugi swallowed hard. "What if I asked you not to kill anymore?"

There was a moment of silence. And Yami remained still, statuesque for a brief moment. He watched him with burning red eyes. And then he sprang at him.

The momentum sent them both falling backwards. His hands were around his neck in a second. His teeth were bared. His eyes were blazing. He snarled, shaking with the noise. Every part of his body quivered for a moment.

And then he chomped his teeth.

"That's not going to happen," he snarled. His teeth clicked forcefully, loudly. Yugi nearly flinched. Instead he tried to squirm out from beneath him. But Yami moved. And he was forced to freeze. Hot exhales burst forward against his skin. His jaw tingled from the force. And he realized, horrified, that Yami was at his jaw. His teeth were braced there. "That will _never_ happen. It is _not_ an _option_."

"I didn't—I was… I…I was just…a-asking." The words were choked and he trembled for a moment. Yami's mouth was braced, open and wide. He knew he could crush his jawbone at any moment. All it would take was a single moment in which he was angered enough. He would snap his jaws shut and Yugi would no longer have half of his face, he was sure.

He trembled, unable to breathe any longer. The fear kept him winded. And Yami's teeth kept themselves there. His breath was hot and terrible against his skin. And his canines brushed his flesh at one point. He knew because they were unnaturally sharp, like the blade of a knife.

Yami kept him pinned for a moment longer. And, to Yugi's shock, his breath against his skin became icy. His nails dug into his flesh. And they were cold until they punctured skin. Blood swept up and soaked his fingertips. There was a slight, terrible tremor in the deity.

Then he pulled back again. He stood up, watching Yugi expressionlessly. But Yugi could see that he was winded. He was visibly shaken and unable to move. But his eyes flickered briefly towards the door. And Yugi knew he was torn between the need to flee and the instinct to remain there. He didn't think Yami truly knew a fight-or-flight instinct. He thought he knew more the instinct to fight but struggled to remind himself to keep from harming Yugi.

They shared pain. They always had since they'd come to cross paths.

Yami was staring at him now. His red eyes were narrowed and cold now. And he stared at him as if he thought Yugi might draw a knife from thin air and stab him. The gleam in his eyes was hideous, burning, and it pulsated with hatred for a moment. The warning in his expression was clear, showing him that he had treaded too far.

Then, as if a switch had been flicked in his mind, Yami turned away. He paced a step. Then he threw himself back onto the floor with such heaviness Yugi almost thought his bones might snap. And then he breathed in slowly through his jaws.

" _Never_ ask such a thing of me."

Yugi was shaking when he sat up. His lungs felt strangled and he struggled to breathe for a moment, panting. He felt small, aching, and something trembled inside of him. His tongue felt laden. He drew a hand up to run through his hair but the quivers made the strands knot.

He hissed in pain, recoiling. But he could not remove it. And Yami stared back at him as he tried again and flinched harder. He watched him, but the other merely looked at his nails.

They were bright red, as if painted.

"I wouldn't…ask you not to when it's helping you create your body," Yugi managed in a weak, pathetic voice. He nearly croaked with horror, his stomach lurching painfully. Horror crashed through him, his mouth dry and pasty. He didn't look up at the other any further than his nails where they were being inspected. "I was just…wondering."

For a moment the other failed to acknowledge him. Then he shifted his weight, bunching his shoulders and dropping them again. The roll of movement was so sharp and predatory that he almost flinched. The bones were like jagged spikes of ice molded beneath his skin, so hideous that Yugi could not help but cringe at the sight.

"I forfeit," Yami muttered suddenly. He spoke just loud enough for him to hear. He blinked slowly, frowning at him. And then he raised his head to face Yugi more fully. Yugi could see his fingers shaking. "And I apologize. Please… Feel free to ask your other questions."

He looked _defeated_ and small. Yugi had never seen that expression on his face before and now he felt sick to consider it. But Yami's seemingly momentary lapse of judgment still left him dizzy. Their eyes locked now and Yugi couldn't help but add yet another description to the other boy.

Yami was _exhausted_.

His eyes were dulled, as if he had somehow aged before him. The depth of them was flat, weakened as if he had lost all the energy that gave them life. And he seemed to have withdrawn completely within himself.

He looked… _lethargic_. He looked as if he were an elderly person that was close to death and waiting for the appearance of a grim reaper. He looked as if he might somehow slip away from Yugi at any moment…

"H-how long do you think your body will take?" Yugi blurted out before he could stop himself. His voice startled Yami enough to tilt his head and blink in confusion. Yugi's cheeks heated and he felt shame crash through him. Horror hit him as he realized how pathetic his phrasing was. But then he felt another crashing emotion, one which tore through him and destroyed the shame and horror.

Yami was _pissed_.

"I mean…do—do you think it's going to take years or just months? Or are you just going to wake up one day and just be… _complete_?"

"How the fuck would _I_ know, Yugi? I have no idea. But I hope to the _other_ goes that it will not be _years_."

He shivered. His tone was exasperated but laced with something almost akin self-pity and weakness. The defeat in his frame had not changed. And, just as it had come, the anger was gone from where it had been growing inside of them both.

Could Yami even make it a year?

Or would he wither away into nothing before his body could even get the proper chance to form?

What if he just slipped away during the night when he was asleep?

He trembled openly now and the other teen sat up straighter, startled by the sight.

"How often do you think you need sex?"

Yami frowned at him now, confused. His head tilted and he appeared lost as to the meaning of his question. And Yugi realized he had to be wondering at the question. He had begun shaking again, and Yami was studying him with bewilderment once more.

"I cannot be sure. It could be weeks or as little as every other month. I am sure it will become less frequent as time goes by, however." He frowned further and leaned forward with his hands in between his legs. His balance was more comfortable now, Yugi noted. He looked almost like a canine preparing to rise to its feet for a split second. "Or…at least we must hope it will."

Yugi watched him for a long moment. And then he ceased trembling. Hatred and anger seized him. And he raised his shoulders, bristling, as he spat, "How long have you been feeling like shit, Yami?"

Yami blinked and his head turned away, lips drawing back to bare his teeth for a brief moment.

"When did the temperature spikes and the _anger_ start, Yami?"

"It began about two days after we had sex," Yami spat. He snapped his jaws hard enough to make the entire room vibrate with the noise. He refused to look back at him, eyes cold and dangerous as he regarded the walls with hatred. "You went into the kitchen for dinner and I was very…suddenly…exhausted. My head began to hurt and my eyes to burn. So I went to sleep. And the anger began soon after I woke. The rest…well, I suppose that you know what has happened since, yes?"

"Why the _fuck_ didn't you _tell_ me, Yami? Goddamn it!"

"Why?" Yami snarled, spinning on him. He chomped his teeth again. His nails were pressed forcefully against the floor. They ate at the fibers and he clenched his fingers there, restraining himself from leaping forward at him. "Why do you _think_ I didn't?"

Yugi opened his mouth to spit at him. He meant to snarl and snap and feel all the fool that Yugi thought he was at the moment. And then realization crossed his mind. And his stomach twisted violently as he considered him.

He blinked and pulled himself back to sit against the side of the bed. He forced himself to look relaxed, to seem as if he did not want to wring Yami's neck. As long as he did not exude violence, Yami was unlikely to lash out at him, he remembered. The god was more likely to respond to visual cues than he was to anything else.

"Yami, I'm _not_ going to hurt you. I already told you that. How many times do you need me to say it?" he asked, struggling to keep from snapping now. He drew in a deep breath, reminding himself once more that if he remained calm Yami was more likely to listen, to actually pay attention to what he was saying. He was more likely to resist the urge to lash out at him. "Please, _next time_ , if something like this ever happens again, you just need to _come to me_ and _tell me_."

They were staring at each other for a long moment. Yugi felt more than ever that Yami might leap at him. And Yami stared at him in a similar manner, as if he assumed such a thing might happen at any moment. And he thought himself by far more justified than the red-eyed teen could say. Yugi had never truly lashed out at…

But yes he had. Yugi blinked in surprise at the thought. He'd hit him in the face when he'd told him to stop jerking him off when he had followed him to the hospital when he'd gone to visit Serenity. Joey's little sister was going blind, and he'd gone to see her, to ask her how she was and catch up somewhat. And, as Yami was not talking to him regularly at the time, Yugi had threatened to punch him if he didn't stop.

It might not have hurt the god in the slightest, but he'd still done it. He'd gone against his usual pacifistic nature and hit him.

But it wasn't this that Yami was so afraid of. Yami was afraid of him for an entirely different reason altogether. It had nothing to do with whether Yugi hit hard or not. It had to do with the fact that he had power over him. It had to do with the fact that he owned the Puzzle. And that made him the biggest threat in Yami's existence.

It made him dangerous, something that had to be eliminated in order to ensure Yami's survival. But the Puzzle had bound them both forcefully. And Yami could not hurt Yugi without hurting himself first. Yami was just as justified in his constant vigil against him, perhaps even more so than Yugi himself was.

He was even weaker than usual— _after_ doing what he had assumed would _save_ him. Constant exposure to Yugi was clearly wearing on him. And the irony of it was that his potential destroyer was also his only salvation.

In reality, he thought the threat of Yami leaping at him in blind rage was mediocre at best in comparison.

"That…goes against _every_ natural instinct I possess. I do not think that it will ever happen."

"Okay, well, sometimes it's going to _have_ to, Yami! Just like if you _need_ sex and can't do anything else to get energy!" Yugi snapped before he could stop himself. His tone was bitter, sharper than he'd intended. And he faltered as Yami blinked, curling his lip back slightly but seemingly curious more than upset. "Just _ask_ me, okay? Just…come on, Yami, if you need something, why am I going to say no?"

"I don't know—I…" Yami paused. Then he shrugged harshly, baring his teeth again and hissing out a deep breath. When he spoke again, it was from behind his teeth and he looked as if he were struggling to remember how to phrase the words he wanted to say. "Whatever. _Fine_. I shall _try_ next time."

"Just…send me a mental image of porn or something. I'll get the idea."

Yami very slowly turned his head, tilting it to the side. He watched him with such a cynical expression that Yugi paused. For a moment he hesitated, about to ask what it was that made him look at him like that. And then the deity leaned forward, snorting loudly and staring at him with eyes full of mocking laughter.

"You claim to know visual cues?" he scoffed, then laughed so loudly the noise seemed to echo off the walls, reverberating in Yugi's skull endlessly for a long moment. "You expect me to believe that you might get the idea from _that_? You are the boy who did not even realize that his best friend was giving him _very specific_ porn videos so that it looked like the girl he was lusting after was on screen."

Yugi blushed, entire face turning bright red. He opened and closed his mouth, then swallowed thickly and looked away. "You… Shut up, Yami. We don't…talk about that anymore." He cleared his throat and ducked his head in shame when Yami scoffed loudly. "Okay, well, unless you ask outright, or just _say_ that you need it, you are going to have to work with me on this."

"I could do that thing where I give you _really_ inappropriate thoughts and make you want to fuck yourself—"

"Oh my— _no_. No, no, _no_." Yugi shook his head wildly and scowled at him in annoyance. "Okay, so obviously I just need you to picture _us_ having sex or something. Something that's super simple and basic and easy to understand. Gods, Yami, you're so rude."

"Gods?" the other snorted, no longer looking at him and regarding his nails again. "I question your loyalty."

"Oh, _shut up_."

"Are we done now?" The question was asked sharply. And Yami was already drawing his legs under himself to get to his feet. When he straightened, Yugi thought that he looked somehow unnaturally thin. He had seen only the smallest flash of skin, but it still alarmed him and he felt sick to his stomach. Abrupt certainty swelled through him. There was something incredibly wrong with the deity in front of him.

Yugi blinked, swallowing hard, and Yami rolled his shoulders. He dusted himself off after a moment and narrowed his eyes into slits. Then he glanced at the clock on the desk before turning away again. "I gave forfeit. You have asked your questions. Am I free to leave the room yet?"

Yugi paused, opening and closing his mouth. He got up slowly, stomach twisting into a painful blob of muscle. And then he stumbled forward a step, nearly shivering. His legs were weak, as if they might buckle beneath his weight. And his mouth grew dry once more.

"Do you want to leave the room?"

Yami gave him a look as if he could not understand how such a stupid creature could have existed for so long. He looked at him as if he did not understand how it was that Yugi even assumed it was okay to look at him to begin with. Slowly his arms folded across his chest, an action that Yugi couldn't decide was fearful or self-conscious at the moment. His nails were still painted bright red with his blood, and his fingers closed around the fabric of his jacket sleeves.

"Do you truly mean to ask me such an ignorant question?" He paused, narrowing his eyes. And now Yugi knew it was fear which made him grip so tightly at his clothing. He was not sure if he was scared of lashing out or if somehow Yugi had managed to invoke fear in him. "And you got your answers, did you not? Or were they not to your satisfaction? Shall we go through each one in more detail?"

"No." Yugi shook his head, hesitating, and then drew in a deep breath. "I mean that I…"

He searched for the words to explain himself for what felt like hours. His mind was slower than ever, struggling, but so wholly focused on the fact that Yami was so unhealthy that it was impossible to truly think anymore. He hesitated again, opening and closing his mouth, and shook his head slowly.

The deity watched him for a moment. Then he turned abruptly away. His sharp eyes shot to the door. His expression was cold and his gaze glittered with disdain. He turned his head, then started to move towards it.

Yugi reached out before he could stop himself. Yami startled, head snapping towards him. He backed up out of his reach, nearly snarling. But the deity seemed to lose his sense of alarm when Yugi simply stared back at him. The small teen bit his lip and peered at him as if Yami were somehow too great for him to truly grasp. There was something in the back of his eyes that made him bristle. Anger swelled up in him for a moment, but Yami could not pinpoint it and so he did not allow himself to react visibly.

Yugi opened and closed his mouth once more. And Yami wondered at the sight, but the smaller teen simply shook his head. When he leaned forward, Yami blinked. Their lips pressed together and they stared at each other. The sight of those blue-violet eyes so close to his own red made him feel cold, somehow strangely hollow as if Yugi had managed to pull his organs from his body and break his bones into nothingness.

The sight of them, wide and open, staring back at him, made him swallow. He was confused, his stomach twisting violently for a moment. And then he forced himself to focus again. Yugi had said he would not harm him. For the moment he would have to believe that, if only because he had no way to defend against him without killing himself…

Yugi blinked once, then seemed to recover whatever nerves had claimed him. His eyes closed tightly. And he leaned more noticeably forward, so much so that Yami almost stumbled beneath the pressure.

His body quickly righted itself, feet moving to catch himself instinctively. The core of his body was aching and cold, so far beneath the surface, that he nearly cringed at the sensation. Where Yugi seemed to touch him, the chill grew acutely painful. He nearly snarled, disgusted and horrified by the touch. But he could nothing more than stare blankly at him. Yugi had moved just enough to fist the material of his shirt, pulling him closer as if they still might somehow have the room to do so.

Or maybe they did. Yami could have simply overlooked it. But then, he also did not care. He did not think he felt the smallest inclination towards showing interest in such a thing. But then, the room was so incredibly small as it was, encompassed by Yugi's cheerfulness and gentler outlook on life. Everything about the room cried that he owned it, that it was _his_ space, that he lived there. Yami felt out of place, nearly disgusted with the very idea of being forced to remain there.

He did not need Yugi's very _essence_ encircling him so fully, no matter their relationship or lack of.

The thought made Yami close his eyes. He felt dizzy and small, his insides tossing and turning under its pull. He choked on a breath that was not his as Yugi pressed his way into his mouth. They were pulled so tightly together that they seemed almost born of the same cloth, molded from the same shadows. The material of his shirt was pulled taut across his back. His chest was barely blocked from Yugi's by his smaller arms folded there to keep him captive.

But his mouth seemed to be burning, growing numb. His nerves seemed to be bursting with pain. And he could not think straight for a split second.

Yet something inside of him was curling with satisfaction. It was somehow familiar and yet foreign all at once. It seemed to purr like a contented cat. And then it lashed out as if to draw blood. It would settle moments later. And then it began again.

Yami nearly moaned at the sensation. It was hideous. It was a foreign entity. And yet somehow it pleased him. It did not make sense to him. And the pain seemed to numb with each flicker of it. It was vibrant and beautiful to the touch. And it brushed against his organs softly.

His consciousness seemed to grow stronger, more plentiful. And each moment that passed made him feel that much more powerful.  
But another part of him rebelled against it. A part of him told him to stop Yugi. It snarled that something was amiss. It screamed that something was wrong and missing in his instincts. And it made his spine tighten. The bone seemed to bunch together and press upon itself painfully.

He nearly hissed with discomfort. He could not understand what it was that could be doing such a thing. He did not know if there was a single thing he comprehended enough to give reasonable thought to.

Desperately, as if he knew nothing else, his hands very abruptly caught at Yugi's back as if in an affectionate embrace. They flattened first against his shoulder blades, and then his nails sank into the fabric there. He felt disconnected, as if almost painfully confused, and abandonment seemed to swell through him. He folded his fingers tightly, as if attempting to sink them through Yugi's flesh in order to keep him there.

The material of his shirt bunched and seemed to shred with the action. Yugi hissed into his mouth, startled, but did not pull away. The tendons bulged beneath his skin, twisting painfully where the bones were curled so far inwards. They began to tremble, briefly, and then abruptly became steady again.

It was almost as if, to his shame, Yami was trying somehow to use him as an anchor.

He seemed almost to wish to envelope and fall within him. He was almost so desperate as to fold himself into one with the smaller boy. The way he dug his fingers in, how he leaned forward ever so slightly; the fact that his leg had moved as if to capture Yugi's…

They hit the ground so painfully that Yugi yelped. Their teeth clicked. His paw exploded with pain. Yami recoiled. The impact made Yugi's head spin. Yami growled, somewhere between dismayed and bitter, and began to untangle himself. Yugi blinked stupidly at the ceiling. For a moment the deity was dizzy, almost swaying from where he remained sitting partially upright. And then Yugi snatched at him.

Yami had been pulling away, he realized. And now he was restrained there.

Yugi was holding his sleeve in a vice grip.

"Where are you going?" he asked, voice weak and unsteady. But it was somehow light as well, excitement making it dance in the air for a split second. Yami paused, eyes widening, and blinked at him in bewilderment. Yugi drew in a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. "The bed is right there."

Yami opened and closed his mouth, then glanced at the bed and slowly back to Yugi. Yugi was gazing up at him from the floor. He looked tired, but somehow as gentle and kind as ever. The sight of his amusement was mixed with fear and confusion and Yami felt his skin tingle.

He felt it flare in his stomach, hissing upwards as if he might vomit, and it scraped outwards and into his other organs painfully. He swallowed hard, unable to do anything more, and then closed his eyes as he drew in a ragged breath. His lungs felt shredded and small, as if they were reforming within his chest. The thought made Yami tremble briefly, terribly.

His heart hammered harshly within his ears. And his stomach lulled more than ever as he narrowed his eyes. His mouth snapped open, voice cold and hideous as he began to snarl.

"Then get up there."

For a moment Yugi remained frozen, startled by his violent tone. Then he watched the way his jaw jumped and clenched painfully. It was becoming clearer by the second that whatever was wrong with the other boy was growing acutely worse. There was no chance he would show himself to be any weaker than he already had.

He would not move until Yugi did. It would ensure that he was not seen as anything less than he wanted.

"Okay." Yugi slipped out from beneath him. He watched Yami's face as he did so, searching his expression. His eyes narrowed into the tiniest of slits. His pupils blew wide to encompass his irises. He could see his reflection there even amidst the darkness and it horrified him. Yugi scrambled and moved away, almost throwing himself onto the mattress as he breathed in roughly and rolled onto his back.

Yami took a moment longer than he had. For the single second he hesitated, he seemed as if he were struggling to breathe. His ribs expanded, then contracted, then followed immediately with a much fuller inhale. They stuttered again, and finally grew swift and heavy with their intake.

The deity kicked his shoes off without a glance at him, threw himself onto the bed, and straddled him as if he had never hesitated moments before. His hands grasped either side of Yugi's flanks, holding the comforter tightly in what seemed like a killing grip. He was shaking, a mixture of tension and anxiety.

Yugi did not question this, however. Nor did he do more than blink slowly and finally close his eyes tightly to shut away the sight before him.

His blue-violet eyes opened again, fluttering and heavy-lidded with desire, to look at him for a moment. They blinked at each other, frozen in place by the expression that greeted them there. Yugi was still somewhat horrified but mostly panicked. There was just enough of an artificial calm between them that stopped Yami short, staring as he wondered if perhaps he had mistaken the expression.

The deity himself looked as if he had gotten himself caught in a web spun by silk so powerful it immobilized him but for the exhaustion that coated his features. For a second both considered the other a flight risk. It was as if they might spring away before they had the chance to stop them. They both attempted to tighten their grasps, to the point of flesh bruising and teeth being bared.

But neither of them made a move to leave.

Instead they watched each other. Yugi leaned forward to snatch him forward, pressing their mouths together again. His fingers speared the deity's soft hair, tangling and pulling. He cupped the back of his neck with his left hand, shifting his position slightly. His lips pressed harder against Yugi's, tongue sweeping through his mouth and moving about in a demanding manner. It made the world fall away until it was encompassed by only him and his existence.

His nails scraped his scalp and his body arched. He squirmed beneath him in an attempt to press harder against the deity. But it was almost impossible to move any closer, they were all but plastered together. He was tingling all over, that strange heat in his stomach curling and flashing outwards to make his senses ache softly. The marrow in his bones felt almost liquid, warm and pleasurable. It made his heart pound with something akin to horror and satisfaction all at once.

Yami lifted his mouth from his only when he felt the sway of his mind with the desperation to draw in a new breath. But Yugi kept his hand tightly fisted in his hair, refusing to lessen his grip even slightly. His nose brushed the bottom of his jaw, breath ghosting over his skin. He trembled.

"Easy, Yugi," he hissed softly. His teeth clenched as Yugi attempted to pull him back to him once more. He breathed in harder and narrowed his eyes. "I am not going anywhere. And I need to breathe."

It was somewhat horrifying when he opened his eyes and looked at him again. His cheeks were flushed, his body quivering, his lips parted only slightly. His eyes were glassy, his mouth almost swollen and tingling harshly. But he was not panting.

Yugi might have been breathing a little harder, but he was not panting as Yami seemed to be.

He blinked his fingers through the other boy's hair, shaken by the idea. He closed his eyes again in fear that he might find some kind of pity there. The strands shifted around his hand like silk, soft and smooth and beautiful red-tipped hair the color of a raven's feather. He shuddered slightly, swallowing hard, but did not give air to the fear that was making his belly cold and hollow.

"Is this why you grabbed me? So that you could take advantage of me?"

"No one takes advantage of you, Yami no Yugi. You make sure of that," Yugi replied, unnerved by the seriousness that lingered in his voice despite the clear joke he had attempted. Yugi shook his head when he looked at him with something akin coldness. But he did not speak further, instead pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

"Hmm."

It was the smallest of hums, full of discontent and something like disgust. But the deity did nothing more than turn his mouth to kiss him fully again. The grip on his hair tightened to the point of inflicting pain, but Yami could not find it within himself to care. The heat in his body was swaying and burning violently.

For a moment he wondered if perhaps he had bled into Yugi fully somehow. Or maybe they had wound up fucking without his notice. But the core of it came from inside of him and the idea made no sense.

The hands moved from his neck and hair to drift over his shoulders and glide down his arms. His back arched with pleasure beneath the light touch. And Yugi's fingers slowly slid over his ribs.

Instinct stirred somewhere deep in the deity. And he barely resisted the urge to snarl in response to the gossamer affection. His ribs seemed too small and weak to restrain or support him any longer. They appeared almost nonexistent should they not have expanded with each breath he took.

That instinct told Yami to lash out as violently as he able. He needed to ward off the threat to his weaker points. But it began to fade almost immediately. It was swallowed away, drowning beneath the rest of the confliction that made itself known within his exhausted body.

His heads were startling cold in comparison to the feverish intensity that came over Yami. But it was painful to Yugi, who felt weak and sick for a moment at his touch. It was alien and strange even within his memories of contact between the two of them. Yami was almost the personification of the winter air outside of his window. And even where they maintained the contact of flesh against flesh, it did nothing to warm him in the slightest.

Fearfully, the smaller teen wondered if nothing might come to help him.

Was it possible that something had gone wrong their first time? Had he somehow wounded Yami? Maybe he was bleeding internally and Yami was unable to stop it because his body was far too weak. What if he became his reflection and disappeared suddenly like a wisp of black and red smoke?

He clung to Yami for a moment, pulling him so roughly forward that the deity snarled but did not break away. Instead his mouth found Yugi's clavicle, his fingers parting just enough to nip gently. But he swore the flesh tore and split and blood was warming his body, making him almost volcanic in temperature.

His fingers crept along his hips, stroking across his stomach and touching lightly against the pale flesh and dark sliver of hair that trailed to his waistband. Yugi hesitated for a moment, breathing gently in his ear for assurance, and the other boy grunted softly in response. He followed that trail, wondering at the way that Yami seemed to stiffen as if startled. He swallowed thickly at the way the material of his pants seemed to droop and further pronounce his skinny, weakened state.

Yugi moved slowly, horrified by the way he thought again that he might dissipate suddenly. And some part of him hoped uselessly that he might be able to do what he could not before and reacquaint Yami with his own body temperature.

Yami hissed, growling softly at the touch to his erection. Yugi paused again, blinking at the other. But Yami did not object, and so Yugi wrapped his hand around it.

It was somehow surprising to find that he had not lost weight there. He was no smaller than he had been when they'd first had sex. But the rest of him seemed so much smaller and thinner, as if it were curling in on itself from emaciation and some kind of insidious weakness.

Yugi shook the thought off and looked up at him, eyes wide as he held the other's gaze. Red against blue-violet, the smaller teen swallowed but moved to dip his fingers further between his legs. The movement made Yami pause, but the hesitation passed and the tension faded if only minutely.

He was willing enough, Yugi noted with the smallest hint of satisfaction. He allowed him to circle the ring of muscle there, then even to lightly prod at it with his index finger. But he also noticed that, despite his initial allowance to do so, Yami was now bristling. And the thought rattled him for a moment.

Had he wanted to top? Was that what this change of attitude was? If that was what he wanted, Yugi would let him do it if he could control his temper enough not to harm him. If he could prove he was not so vicious as he had been only minutes earlier before he'd forfeited, then he was fine to do so.

But Yami did not seem to care to acknowledge his thoughts. But Yugi was sure he had projected them loudly enough for the deity to hear. He had made a point of doing so now, to press as forcefully into his mind as he possibly could. Blinking in confusion, Yugi watched an array of emotions play across the deity's sharper face. It startled him now to see the hatred and anger there, mixed with lust and the smallest bit of dissatisfaction.

He pressed his index finger further into the deity, burying it up to the first knuckle. And then he blinked stupidly only to relax when he heard the soft moan that escaped Yami's lips.

"Tell me you want me."

The words were said with a mystifying desperation. And Yugi found himself breathless as he looked back at him.

Yami blinked once, long and slow. And for the briefest of seconds it seemed as if he were somehow digging himself up from a depth in his own mind that Yugi could never come to fathom. The displacement in his eyes cleared rather abruptly and his body lost much of its tension.

"I want you."

He was sneering. But the way he said it made Yugi think of the game telephone. Yami seemed simply to be parroting him as emotionlessly as a computer program might. The thought made Yugi feel weak and small. But he realized as well that Yami knew exactly why it was that he had asked for his approval.

He would have felt he was taking advantage of him had he not given him a verbal recognition of what they were doing. Because his eyes were far away and his thoughts seemed out of reach. It was only his physical presence which remained with him, heavily overshadowed by this fact.

Yugi scrabbled at him now with his free hand, clawing at the material of his shirt and jacket. He felt almost pathetic in his need to somehow fix a problem that Yugi himself was not sure how to even identify. When he prodded again, the deity hesitated a moment, then spread his legs to balance himself. It gave him more room and allowed Yami to regain a more comfortable position.

But somehow he moved so awkwardly that Yami nearly fell forward. Yugi watched him with a cold and horrid realization overcoming him.

This would not fix Yami.

This would not heal his weakness.

And Yugi did not know of any other way that he could do it.

Yugi was trembling as Yami finally moved to pull his clothes off. The teen kicked them off with an awkward movement that reminded Yami of a fish flailing, dropping them to the floor without a second look. Instead he watched Yugi again, red eyes seemingly growing brighter where they had formerly been dark and disconnected around the edges of his blown pupils. Slowly but surely his attention grew focused again, his expression inquisitive, and Yugi forced himself to ignore it.

Yugi caught his mouth with his again, moving to pull him somehow closer with his fingers pressed harder into the flesh of his ass in desperation. The way their teeth clicked and his own body struggled to make them mold together so painfully made him shudder. His panic made him wonder if maybe those few lucky survivors from deserted nameless islands felt the same when they received fresh food and water.

It took him only moments to find the best way to ease Yami into the position he desired. The taller teen hissed and snarled low in his throat, back hitting the mattress with enough force that it knocked the air from his lungs. But he did not protest any further. Yugi prodded again, finding his balance, and pumped once. He let out a small breath of relief when he finally touched his prostate. But the pleasure seemed to be only partially received as the deity threw his head back and his jaw clicked loudly.

His sharp nails cut into Yugi's skin like razors. It had not been more than a month since their first time. But the deity was shocked by the pain which crashed through him. He had the impulse to snarl and push him away, though not before he thought to snap his neck like a twig or tear his jugular out with his teeth.

Yami writhed, unused to the sensation so much so that it made him want to scream in pain for a split second. He barely resisted the urge to lunge forward and attack him as violently as he could. Panting, baring his teeth briefly. He managed to growl out, " _Move_ " with just enough strength that it made him uncertain the word had left his own lips.

He was almost startled by the demand. And he felt as if he might vomit. His face was twisting up he knew, perhaps with pain or maybe with anger. And his body seemed desperate to curl in on itself, folding away and desperate. Yami kept his teeth bared, head turned away from him, breathing hard as he struggled to remember to breathe. He snarled almost inaudibly seconds later, his displaced rage making him nearly shake with despair.

But Yugi followed his instructions. He moved as quickly as he dared considering the little preparation he had done. The bed creaked with the first thrust and Yugi nearly toppled over in his unsteady haste.

Yami clawed at him, drawing blood in his pain. He felt it sticky and burning against his long fingers. Furiously, the red-eyed teen dug further. He struggled to find a better sensation to pull at his body. The pleasure he should have felt with each thrust was replaced by an aching need that he did not know how to satisfy. It made his skull ache and burn. And his thoughts fell away into nothingness.

He let out something between a snarl of displeasure and confusion when the feeling of warmth fled his body. It was so swift and sudden that he paused. Yugi was panting above him, trembling with exhaustion. And he could barely keep his weight from collapsing on him entirely.

Yami blinked, unsure of what more to do. There was nothing to greet him but the heat that burned his nerve endings with such power he nearly yelped. The blood on his feelings, he realized belatedly. Feeling almost weak and small for not knowing before, Yami knew that _this_ was why they felt so hot.

He blinked again, slowly and without true purpose. Then he withdrew a hand to look at it. Had he gouged him so terribly? His entirely palm to his wrist was smeared with it. He looked as he had the moment he had finally killed Ushio after such a long and satisfying Shadow Game. He stared at the contours of his fingers, the prints there, but swore they were almost nonexistent.

Had he come? Yami looked at Yugi slowly, feeling strange and distant as they locked eyes. Something had changed between them, he realized slowly. And it was nothing good.

The smaller teen was spent, and visibly so, but Yami himself felt nothing. Confusion came through him and a strange hollowness seemed to seep into his bones. Realization crept over him and he struggled for a moment. Yugi was watching him, had clearly seen that as well. He looked sick to his stomach and so horrified that Yami would have formerly assumed he had killed someone in front of him.

"I…"

Yami fell silent again immediately, unable to shake the urge to curl in on himself in his growing state of dismay. He lowered his eyes, finding his gaze locked blankly on Yugi's stomach.

It was somehow more mystifying than anything else. His soft skin was soaked, painted a hideous red and creamy white.

* * *

Yami was picking at his nails, tearing at the flakes of dried blood there, when Yugi returned to the room. He had fled only moments after the deity had noticed he was covered with his orgasm and his own blood. For twenty minutes he had been scrubbing himself furiously in the shower. It had horrified and disgusted him and it did not help that his brain felt muddled, confused, and he thought himself responsible.

Logically, he knew it was not something he had done which had caused Yami to become so despondent. It made no sense for him to tell himself that he was at fault. But it still remained and guilt tore at his insides.

The first layer of skin was a bright pink on every inch of his body but for his face, he knew. And along his stomach he had actually scrubbed hard enough to break skin. There had been tiny rivulets of bright red to mix with the soap bubbles on his skin, scaring him further.

But now, coming back into his room, his panic became somehow silenced by an eerie and foreboding calm. He could not place it, nor dispel it. And he made a move towards the bed slowly, taking a seat on the comforter. He bit his lip until he tasted blood on his tongue, but he was not surprised when the other boy failed to look at him even then.

For several long minutes he could not think to say a word, nor push together the fragments of his thoughts into a coherent stream. The silence was oddly and horrifyingly companionable, as if Yugi had not all but forced him or that Yami had failed to tear his skin open along his shoulders. He thought of how Yami had choked him mere minutes before and something in his gut wrenched.

He sighed quietly, tipping his head back to look at the bright blue of his ceiling. "What just happened?" he finally muttered.

"We fucked. It was nice."

Normally his dry response would have made him smile and shake his head. But now his stomach was so tight with disgust and horror that he could not bring himself to do more than turn to stare at him blankly.

"Yami, I'm serious. What just happened?"

Yami paused for a moment at the response. Then he turned his head, his fingers still picking at the blood under his nails. The flakes were a deep and hideous red, falling to the floor like the snow they'd stood beneath before they'd returned to his room to have sex. For a moment Yugi thought perhaps they were even as thick as those massive crystals, making his heart pound in his chest before his eyes snapped up to the other's once more.

Yami pulled his hands away to keep from having to see that look upon the other's face. It irritated him to the point of nearly snarling. He could _give_ him a reason to show him such horror and disgust should he so desire. There was nothing to truly stop him from doing so.

"I do not know."

"You…don't know?"

Yami leaned forward from his spot in the desk chair, lip curling faintly at the right side. "Is that not what I just said to you?" he growled softly, voice low and slithering through the air like a snake about to strike. He drew in a deep breath, then exhaled hard and narrowed his eyes. "I lack the knowledge of which to share with you that which is going on. If I had an inkling of knowledge on this subject I would not be wasting my time wondering about it nor answering you with such a stupid response."

Yugi bit his lip and inhaled deeply. "Okay."

"Okay?" the deity snarled in a cold tone, eyes blazing for a brief second. His brows furrowed when the smaller boy blinked at him and tilted his head. They looked at each other and the silence grew easy and light between them once more.

"You don't need to be so upset all the time," Yugi mumbled with a shake of his head. He offered him a small, weak smile, and his insides twisted as Yami blinked slowly. "I know you're not happy with this situation and I'm not either, but you snap so easily and you don't need to. It's not okay what's going on. I just meant that we'll figure it out as we go along."

The other boy opened and closed his mouth and frowned deeply as he looked him over. "Oh…" He hesitated, turning away again and staring at the carpet. "My apologies."

"It doesn't matter."

What _did_ matter was how they were supposed to go about fixing this mess. There had to be some kind of way to make Yami heal. Sex had seemed the most likely answer.

But obviously the results had been far less than satisfying. The god had not even seemed to know what was happening, only that it had ended and he had split his skin.

"It's fine."

Yami gave him a small confused, thoughtful look, and frowned at him faintly. He studied him for a long minute, then scowled. Why was it that this boy was never upset anymore? He'd been a lot less calm when they had first met. He'd snapped at him angrily, refused to acknowledge his existence unless he forced himself into his path. He'd punched him for sticking his hand down his pants against his wishes. He'd sneered at him stupidly when he'd told him he had to remain with him. And they'd butted heads at times.

But now Yugi was acting as if there was no reason for him to say anything in response when he dug into him about whatever it was he felt was good enough a topic to lash out about. Had he not almost killed him only an hour before?

And Yugi was still sitting there on the edge of the bed. He was smiling at him gently with his shoulders relaxed, his body more or less at ease. He had his head tilted slightly to the side, studying him as the deity bristled in front of him and snapped and gave him the cold shoulder and baited him angrily.

Was Yugi truly so far removed from his own instincts to flee that he did not find his anger intimidating any longer? Yami furrowed his brows. He had made him submit earlier, but that had been his own will suppressing Yugi's.

As a god, it was a simply task to do so. He had the very simple yet complex power to force his desires upon another being and push them into submission at his will. He could make a king kneel before him or a child kill their parent should he desire it. He'd always been aware of such a thing. And he'd always been powerful enough to do so without much issue.

But it had not been something he had thought himself capable of at the moment. And he had not thought for even a second that Yugi would be susceptible to such a thing. He'd thought he might be immune to it, if only for the fact that he was his keeper and the Puzzle was his weapon against him. He had assumed that the Item might save Yugi in some way or another.

But then…Yami had not been trying to do such a thing to him either.

It had happened by accident. He'd snapped and that had come to happen before he could think straight and consider what might come of it.

"Can I ask you something, Yami?"

He blinked, startled, and tilted his head slowly.

"Did you even…feel it?"

Yami hesitated. Then he moved to grit his teeth, grinding them loudly against each other when he shifted his bottom jaw forward. His canines poked out against his top lip for a single moment. Yugi saw a small bead of blood appear where Yami pressed his right canine further into his skin.

He felt that it might devastate the smaller teen to hear the answer.

But Yami had always believed in answering a question truthfully only when there was no room to maneuver away from it. And Yugi had asked him so directly that there was no way to truly pretend he did not understand what he was saying to him.

"No." He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. "I only felt the blood."

Yugi nodded slowly. And when Yami opened his eyes again, the color drained entirely from Yugi's face and the small teen looked away with a horrified, shaky expression.

 **As the sequel, events in the story will allude to what happened in _Behind You_ , though I don't know how often or from whose point of view. Bits of dialogue and thoughts and actions will be better explained throughout. You shouldn't have to reread _Behind You_ to get the full gist of this story. There should be enough exposition to cushion and help the story be standalone.**

 **Feel free to ask questions or leave a review and tell me how the story is turning out. If you would not like a reply just put an asterisk (*) in it so that I'll know not to.**


	2. Chapter II

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Yu-Gi-Oh!**

 **Warning: So, the same as last time. The cursing should be relatively mild but grows a little more at times, Season 0 Yami whose a bit more unhinged in this story than he was in _Behind You_ , so keep that in mind.**

 **Note: There are various/copious mentions of blood, some graphic images of death, sensual moments and feelings, touches of violence/abuse, slight OOCness but it's due to stress (and it's mostly going to be from Yugi whose going to suffer pretty badly where Yami is involved and choices he makes in order to help Yami), slight touches of depression, possible triggers**

 **Update Schedule: I'm going to try (again) for bi-weekly updates**

 **Okay so this was literally JUST finished as far as being completely rewritten. I still using four different apps for writing and editing and posting. So, if there are some errors feel free to point them out to me or just ignore them. You're not obligated to do it. And I'm the author so I should have noticed them before. Anyways, so here is the second chapter of _Shadow Me._**

 **I'm patting myself on the back for remembering the actual day I was supposed to post it~ I make no promises that it will happen as frequently as it should. My life is kind of insane right now.**

Chapter II

Yugi couldn't stop tapping his pencil against the desk. It was the only thing that was rhythmic enough to comfort him. The music of the movie in front of the class was blaring and it made his head throb. But his heart had begun to pick up speed as well and bile had burned a path up the back of his throat. He felt dizzy, sick, and as the teacher continued talking about everything, it made him want to run off.

The virus was tunneling through the immune system, towards the brain. They had said that the symptoms varied, that the amount of strands injected affected how fast it went. It had to get into the blood stream or it was all but perfectly useless against the host. He supposed that went for any kind of disease or virus, though.

He still assumed that they were talking about rabies, however. There was only one disease he knew of that could vary so drastically in symptoms, then in the amount of time it was dormant, and kill in less than twelve days when it was showing.

But the whole point of the movie was for each student to come up with their conclusion. They hadn't had a rabies incident in so long in Japan, though, that this seemed almost like some kind of sick joke. And, in light of everything that was going on with him at the moment, he thought it couldn't be anything else.

The scene was narrated by a harsh woman's voice, speaking about how the white blood cells were struggling to fight the disease off. And, as he watched, he wondered if Yami even _had_ white blood cells. If he was still being created, what were the odds that he had already produced them? He was honestly somewhat surprised whenever he saw his blood was _red_.

He flipped his pencil. It was shaky in his grip.

Yami had seemed so terribly out of place after their conversation. He had, despite Yugi's best efforts to change it, seemed to withdraw completely into himself. It was as if the entire situation had brought forth so much humiliation that it had smothered him. He had not truly faced Yugi again for the rest of the day. And when he moved, his body seemed unnaturally heavy and physically taxed, his spine stiff. He swore he had heard his bones pop more than once.

But he had seemed tense more than anything. And Yugi swore that sometimes he would find him watching him from the corner of his eye, almost as if he expected him to pounce on his weakness. He was so tense, in fact, that more often than not, the smaller teen thought he might break his thin bones if he moved the wrong way.

He had sat there, on the bed, scaring himself for hours with those thoughts. When he had laid down, they had pushed at his skull until he felt he could not even breathe properly. And so he had stayed up for hours after he had turned off the light. The moonbeams had just _barely_ given him the much needed knowledge that the other boy was breathing from his spot on the floor.

He had spent over twenty minutes just watching his chest rise and fall. The movements were unsteady, jerking his shoulders from his position where he lay curled on his side. The blanket had initially looked completely still when he had focused on it, and he had been forced to strain his eyes to get even a hint of satisfaction and profit. His movements were so few and in between in his sleep that Yugi had nearly leaped up more than once.

He had been prepared to spring to his feet and race over to check on him sometime near three in the morning. He'd been watching, struggling to see it, when abruptly Yami had jerked awake. His eyes had snapped open, glittering in the darkness. For a split second he lay there, facing Yugi's direction but clearly blind to his prying eyes. Then he had rolled over onto his belly, pushed himself into a seated position.

Yugi had continued watching, eyes narrowed into slits for the sake of secrecy, and swallowed back several whimpers. The deity at first seemed to choke and rasp, then opened his jaws and gulped in air. When he shook his head, Yugi thought he saw a bead of sweat fall from his cheek. It was when he nearly cried out that Yami seemed to remember he was there. His head snapped in his direction, eyes sharp and glowing, and he studied him for a long minute.

Then, slowly, he'd turned away. The deity had glanced more hesitantly around the room, but the claustrophobic feeling he had always seemed to get upon doing so did not appear to come to him. Instead he had settled more firmly on his haunches, breathing in through his nose now, eyes half-closed, head tilted slightly to the side. His gaze had been darkened drastically by his long lashes, his face looking strained and pale. Then he had finally shifted his way again, drawing in a deep and noisy sigh that stuttered violently within his chest, and collapsed back into his pillow once more.

The movement had scared him enough that he almost jumped up again. But then he saw Yami rub his cheek against the pillow and force his face further into the soft fibers. Within moments he was still again, breathing only noticeable in the slight tremor of his shoulders.

Yugi had fallen asleep watching him. He had been desperate to see that he was okay, to make sure that he would see the light of the next day. He had been unable to keep his eyes open past four in the morning, but he had woken up thirty minutes early from his restless sleep. And when he did, his eyes were immediately on Yami again.

He had jumped violently when Yugi's alarm went off.

 _He's still so unfamiliar with it_ , he thought as he scribbled an answer on his worksheet. He was surprised that he could even write coherently. He was shaky and tired and everything seemed to make him ache more…

Yami's shoulders had popped in the new position; the noise had sounded like a gun going off. His jaw clenched, his eyes grew bright with confusion. His fingers had curled and knotted in the carpet fibers, grounding himself. Yugi had reached over and hit the button to silence it. But the other boy had woken up and he hardly seemed inclined to rest any longer.

He'd taken the seat at his desk as he always did. His body had been stiff, appearing so much smaller than it ever had before. He'd flipped a deck of playing cards, one elbow braced on the metal surface, the other draped across the cards carelessly.

Yugi had made a point of watching him around his morning rituals. He poked his head out from around the corner of his bathroom door to glance at him. He packed his backpack slowly, moving close enough to brush against him when he grabbed something out of his desk. He used his peripheral to keep tabs on him as directly as he could when he was too close to look at him comfortably and not drawn his attention.

And he feigned ignorance when the deity sneered, "You could be more inconspicuous" as he plopped down on the bed with his breakfast.

"I have no idea what you're talking about" had been his response around a mouthful of cereal. Yami had smirked and flipped another card, eyes more amused than anything, probably because he enjoyed the cheeky little retort. But they were both well aware, and Yugi's position of facing him completely around wolfing down his food did not help.

But, despite it all, he had not been able to do more than think of one horrifying possibility—Was Yami _dying_?

It seemed impossible to him that it could be anything else happening. There was no true explanation for why he had not been able to absorb his energy. He had always fondled him, given him a hand job—in alleys, in his room—and it had worked. It was sexual energy that Yami needed, because it was the most strenuous task a body could go through. It caused all the endorphins to rush to the surface and spirals of immense pleasure and it was a spike of power for the deity. He had always prospered from it before.

There was no reason whatsoever that Yugi could think of to explain his lack of healing now. He could not understand how such a thing could come to pass. The deity should have looked better rather than so much worse. And he should not have woken up in the middle of the night with such a strain on his lungs, clearly struggling to breathe.

Yugi squeezed his eyes shut and ignored the droning voice of the video. His first impulse was to reach up and pull on his hair until his scalp stung. His second, more reasonable, was to chew on the end of his pencil aggressively. His third was to scream. Between the three of them, the chewing seemed the least disruptive.

But what if he could not stop whatever it was that was happening? What if his lack of control or understanding completely destroyed Yami?

He was not sure he could live with himself much longer if Yami was forced to suffer so acutely. But there was no way he could send him back. He had told him so several times and the Puzzle had demonstrated a similar declaration when it attacked the deity whenever he so much as grazed it. He had no idea if he could stop it from killing Yami, not with his inexperience with magic or his inability to understand what was happening.

He had, of course, gone over multiple things in those sleepless hours, however. He had considered Yami playing a Shadow Game. But he did not know how he was meant to ask him or how he would make it work. If he was to provoke someone and they harmed him, would it pave the way for him? Or would it be considered a falsity somehow?

Were there _rules_ to challenging someone?

Had any of Yami's victims known that they were playing a game for their lives?

Had _Ushio_ known?

But then, in order to save him, was Yugi _truly_ willing to allow the deity to go forth and kill?

Considering his options, there seemed no better choice. And if it would heal him, Yugi thought he might be. The immensity of the guilt which burned in his gut was festering with the idea. If he could take a chance and save Yami somehow, could he _really_ turn a blind eye to such a thing?

It was a good cause—perhaps the best cause—but he didn't know.

His stomach curled. Ushio had stabbed Yami in the side. Was it possible the former knife would had not been as healed as they thought it had? When he had seen Yami again after stitching it, his skin had come together again perfectly. It had looked as if nothing had ever happened beyond the strand of suture left in his flesh, crisscrossing along the surface. He felt dizzy, small, weak.

Was it possible it had become infected? Maybe he hadn't cleaned it as well as he had thought. Maybe it was full of pus beneath the surface. Maybe it was gangrened. That would kill slowly but effectively.

But he didn't think that would explain why he had lost body mass. His lean muscle seemed to have completely deteriorated and he didn't think gangrene was capable of that. And it _surely_ did not explain why it was that Yami couldn't absorb his energy. It didn't explain why he was unable to experience the thing that he so often craved.

It could have explained his temper away, although Yugi was altogether unsure of that as well. When it came down to it, he was not an expert on infections or diseases. He would have to research it before he could say anything about it.

All he knew for sure was that something was _wrong_.

And he needed to get it back _under control_.

He was almost tempted to check out books from the library, dig in and try to gain as much knowledge as possible. But that time spent doing that—what if Yami needed him? And what if all of that medical knowledge did _nothing_ for him? What if Yami proved to be as difficult in diagnosis as he was in understanding body language?

He had never shown him such emotion in those blatant displays as the texts described. When he angled his body towards him, it didn't mean he wanted him closer. It meant that he was stretching. And he could have his chin in his palm and play chess against him and be completely aware of his strategy rather than bored out of his mind. He could snarl and it might actually be with endearing words, sneer and have it be playful rather than aggressive. Yami was a structure of enigmatic features, contradictory in every way. And the textbooks on body language did _nothing_ to explain that.

He had proven himself to be far more removed in human culture than Yugi was prepared to work with. He had no way of knowing how to decipher his moods. He had to try to read his eyes more than his expression, more than the way his body looked. If he couldn't see his eyes, then he was lost.

And, Yami was—as far as he knew—a god.

Didn't that make his illnesses otherworldly? Surely simply being trapped within a human frame did nothing to change that, right? Why would he suffer the same diseases and inflictions as regular people?

It was entirely too easy to focus on one tiny detail rather than the one necessary to heal him. If he wasn't human, Yugi didn't know he could truly rely on human means to save him. And Yami had shown him more than once that he despised medicine. When Yugi had offered him aspirin for what seemed to be a headache, the deity had snapped at him that he didn't want it. And when he had tried again, he'd threatened to rip his face off and stuff it down his throat.

He wasn't sure what it was that made him so hateful towards it. Maybe it was because he perceived needing it as weakness. Maybe it was simply because he despised everything human. Yugi didn't know. It couldn't have been that he was the one offering it for all he knew.

But, if he focused on the wrong thing, then Yami would be the one to suffer for it. He had to be careful and if he skimmed articles he was likely to miss something important. It was some kind of unholy catch-22. The cycle would never end.

His hesitation, the time it spent looking through those books, and the time he worried, could all easily seal his fate if he was not careful. And then…what was he meant to do if Yami died somehow?

He was not sure if he would die with him or not. Would he pass away painfully if Yami did? He already knew that he was exhibiting mirror symptoms. Where Yami was ice cold to the touch, he was breaking out in sweats. Where Yami seemed to have difficulty breathing, Yugi felt his own head growing lighter and lighter as the days passed. The symptoms were actually starting to come to him like dehydration might. Confusion, dizziness, lack of understanding, the lightheadedness…

Yugi shuddered. His eyes opened, flicking towards the screen, but then shot immediately away again at the slightest movement in the corner of his gaze. A note was being passed over to his desk. His brow rose slowly and the smallest sense of curiosity and interest began to peak inside of him.

He tilted his head, looking it over. It seemed so small and inconspicuous and, for a moment, he wished all his life could be as simple as this folded sheet of paper. It was so pristine and easy, with straight lines and crisp edges.

It almost reminded him of Yami's teeth. They were straight, flawless. His canines were crisp and sharp. When he bared them in a grin, it was absolutely _sinful_.

He nearly laughed at the thought, then rolled his eyes at himself. His eyes flickered to the video then back to the teacher. She was grading papers, ignoring them easily enough. She hadn't deemed it necessary to spare them much attention on any video day.

He reached over, putting his pencil down, and opened the paper slowly. A small sense of dread came upon him now. The pit of his stomach was swollen with it. It felt like a rock were forming somewhere in his throat. What if it was all a waste of time? What if Yami was fading away right then and there?

He could not even sense him as well as he had been able to upon meeting him for the first time. Sometime during the week they had had sex, he had lost the ability. He had not thought to question it. He had foolishly assumed that he was losing that sense because Yami was becoming more alive and real than before.

He felt so stupid now. He should have asked. He should have risked Yami's anger and just gone ahead and questioned him about it.

It was so bad now that he could not even calculate his proximity to the deity any longer. That security blanket of being able to sense of him, of telling when he was near, had gone away within the blink of an eye. It had shattered into nothingness.

He could not even feel his emotions as powerfully as he once had. He had not fully recognized the displayed confusion and unhappiness he had experience since their union the day before. He hadn't felt his suffering throughout the night. He hadn't experienced his frustration when he woke up and nothing had changed.

And, what was worse, he should have known better. He had assumed before that it was his personal bubble, the one that left him feeling only half of what he was meant to. He had thought _that_ was what had kept him from experiencing what Yami did. And now he was suffering for his stupidity. Now he was being proven wrong and shown just how foolish he was.

The sheet under his fingers held the simple note of _Want to go to the arcade later_? Beneath it was a big smiley face and a tiny heart drawn next to it. His lips threatened to pull into a small smile as he immediately recognized the handwriting. But the dread was pooling inside of it, multiplying drastically. His stomach began to burn and his blood felt cold as it passed through his veins.

Regardless, he forced himself to quirk his lips faintly, turning his head. Mai and Joey were both watching him. They flashed him quick grins, almost in unison. His cousin batted her lashes at him playfully and his best friend gave him two thumbs up and a small nod.

It normally would have made him agree. But now he felt only more guilt, followed angrily by despair which made his guts knot further.

He bit his lip and looked back downwards. The paper was still so pristine and simple in appearance. It shook him to his core how easy it was to see such a thing in his life when everything seemed to be tunneling downwards now. He drew in a deep breath, head spinning.

If Yami was dying…he should not waste time. Staring at the paper in front of him was wasting time. Considering going to the arcade was _wasting time_. If he wasn't spending his time to help the deity, then it was being _wasted_. Completely wasted.

But how was he supposed to keep a clear head if he couldn't simply take a few minutes to relax? If his attention was completely forced and focused on Yami, wasn't he more likely to miss something?

There was a tight and terribly constricting knot forming within his throat. His excuse of relaxation would be nothing to hold merit. In all reality, he truly had no legitimate reason to go with them.

 _Yami_ needed him. Yami needed _his_ help. _Yami_ was the one who might _die_ if he was not given his attention!

Yugi swallowed hard, shaking his head, and then folded the note again. He could not do that. He had no idea what might happen if he was not there for Yami. If he wasn't there, he might waste away. And if he wasted away, Yugi was sure he was not far behind. But even with that, if there was some way that he could save Yami, he would do it. He just had to find a way. He had to see if maybe there was something he could do. He had to research when he got out of school.

Yet, somehow, as he tried to slip out of the school among the other students, he felt himself snatched with an arm around his shoulders. He struggled only once, then sighed softly through his nose. Thankfully enough, neither of the taller teens heard him at all. He didn't want to have to explain that no, the arcade was the _last_ place he truly wanted to be at the moment.

He protested loudly, however, all but snapping and sneering at them to let him go. But his cousin's concern and his friend's laughter kept him from truly making any headway in the sake of getting home on time. So he fell silent as they took their seats at a booth, scrunching his body as tightly as he could without completely pressing into the window as he looked outside.

Some small, stupid, pitiful part of him hoped that perhaps Yami might pass by. He hoped against everything, ever little grain and sense of reality, that he might somehow appear before him. He didn't care if anyone else noticed. He didn't care if Joey grew irritated. He didn't care if Mai asked about it. He didn't care one bit. He just wanted to see him, to know that he was okay.

If he just passed along his line of sight, Yugi would be grateful. He didn't care if he turned around and snarled at him. He didn't care if he made a scene. Hell, he didn't even care if the other boy punched him for being late returning to the house.

 _He_ was the one who needed him, after all. He could lash out as much as he wanted to and Yugi wouldn't give a damn. Whatever conversation Mai and Joey wanted to have with him could wait until _after_ Yami was safe and healthy again.

"So, Yug," his best friend began, voice smooth and playful. But the undertone of it was serious and somehow, still, it failed to have enough power. And so Yugi failed to look away from the passersby on the streets beyond the wall of glass next to him. And the smaller teen kept twitching faintly, a chord in his neck jumping or his fingers fidgeting on the surface of the table. "We…kind of need to talk to you about something."

"I kind of figured," he grumbled softly, because it sounded nicer than the sarcastic, angry " _Obviously_ " that was his first instinctive response. He was tempted to jump up, to turn to them and say that he needed to go, and run to the house. But Yugi remained where he was, because causing a scene meant he would have to explain. He wished, for the smallest of seconds, that one of the passersby might turn to him, so that he could beg them to help him. But they continued to walk, and so he finally forced himself to frown noticeably and then shift a little closer to the window. "What's up?"

For a moment they were both quiet. They glanced at each other, debating for a moment. Yugi watched them from the corner of his eye, his peripheral sharp as it caught their worried expressions. They seemed to be searching for who might take the lead, holding an argument between them with only their eyes. Someone had to break the news of whatever it was.

He waited a few heartbeats. He tapped a finger against the table. Then, slowly, his cousin sighed, "It's about Yami."

The name stirred something inside of him. He felt his neck pop with the tension of his muscles locked together so forcefully. His head had snapped around and his stomach was tossing. He blinked, his eyes growing wild and his pupils dilated. Did they know something? Did they have answers?

"What about him?" he demanded, breathing out weakly and feeling his lungs constrict. Was it possible that they knew something?

Both of them swapped looks again. Their eyes had grown wide, their faces paling at the sight of his desperation. Then Joey furrowed his brows. And Mai frowned faintly. Then they looked at him, and their eyes looked concerned beyond what he had seen them before. They had mirroring expressions, as if they had taken on the qualities of the other's face in their growing worry.

Joey tapped his fingers along the table for a moment, then cleared his throat awkwardly. His eyes flickered to his girlfriend's who was too busy studying Yugi to truly notice. "We both think that maybe you shouldn't see him anymore, Yugi."

He blinked slowly, the action taking so long that he thought it had been hours that had passed in the midst of darkness behind his lids. He faltered and his stomach knotted as his heart lurched in his throat. They didn't know anything.

 _Of course they didn't know anything_!

How _could_ they?

They knew nothing _about_ Yami!

The hope that had come through him now crashed and drained away completely. He stared at them. And he felt blind as he considered their words, his thoughts those of feigning deafness now as well. Slowly the smaller teen sat up a bit straighter, confused and bewildered. Then he blinked again and his heart skipped beats, painful as it rattled in his chest. He felt hollow now.

He opened and closed his mouth once, sluggish and weak in comprehending the words, and then shook his head slowly. "What?" he managed to croak.

Joey faltered. Yugi looked abruptly devastated, as if he had just said that he could never succeed in life. He nearly cringed and flinched away, but forced it off in order to draw in a deep breath.

"He's…not a good guy."

As abruptly as he had become crestfallen, so too did his anger come. The small teen bristled, shoulders rising, and his voice coming out in a near snarl. "What exactly would you know about him?" he snapped, hissing the last few words. Something was moving in his eyes, a shadow of a gear, twisting and churning through a million different thoughts and concepts in his head. He was tense and Joey almost feared he would flee for the door at any second.

Slowly he reached up, running a hand through his hair. His teeth had grown clenched together and his eyes were lowered to the table. Fuck. Yami could be dissipating right that second and he would _never know_! Because, apparently, for whatever reason, they had decided an intervention was necessary. He nearly screamed.

Despair made his body weak. Horror made his breath tight.

Yami could be disappearing at any moment. He could fade away and Yugi would never see him again…

His head turned towards the window again. A little girl was carrying an ice cream cone. A little boy was chasing his dog as it pulled him down the street. A car passed by a little slowly, then picked up speed when the light turned green. He wished he could join them. He wished he was out there, could run off at any second. He wished, most of all, that he wouldn't feel bad about it if he did flee.

"I think it's pretty obvious that he's overbearing," the blond said without further preamble. The statement was so startling that Yugi froze in place for a moment. Then the words seemed to slink into his head without further camouflage, as if the sun were shining over immense shadows. Very slowly he turned to look at his friend again, his breath squeezed tight in his lungs. Joey looked flustered, his brown eyes flashing, but he was sympathetic as well. "You said it yourself, when we all talked about him that first time. You said he's extremely antisocial and he gets angry really easily."

He leaned back in his seat a bit. Mai was well aware of how much dangerous ground her boyfriend had just drifted into. Yugi's jaw was ticking slightly. His brows were drawing downwards. His lips were tugging towards a snarl. And his eyes had hardened. But Joey, in all of his concern, did not seem to notice it. He was beyond seeing the signs in front of him in his effort to get through to his friend.

"You said that the two of you were going to try your hands at actually dating and he showed up at the arcade and said that you had to talk to him for twenty minutes. The next thing we all know, you're telling us that you're _really trying_ at a relationship and then you pretty much avoid us all for over a _month_!"

Yugi blinked once, then twice in an effort to calm himself. Then he sat up a little straighter and his shoulders kept rising for a moment before he shook his head angrily. The implications were clear in his head, ringing in the recesses of his thoughts. He bore his teeth as he breathed in sharply, flustered.

If anyone was overbearing in their relationship, it was him. By no stretch of the imagination did Yami truly have any bearing on anything beyond physical need and satisfaction. _He_ was the one who insisted the deity stay at his home. _He_ was the one who hid him away in his room so often. _He_ was the one who _chose_ to ditch them in favor of the red-eyed teen. _He_ was the one who had practically locked him away like a dirty little secret for only his own eyes.

But Joey didn't know that.

And Yugi couldn't explain without risking Yami's safety.

Mind racing, thoughts struggling to come forward, Yugi drew in a deep breath and exhaled rather raggedly. It sounded like exhaustion, but he was sure it was more exasperation and frustration.

"I was never avoiding you guys. I told you that I wanted to try a relationship with him! I just wanted the month to be something between us so that we could work on it. He didn't ask for that. I _gave_ him that!" He faltered, voice dying for a moment. Why was it so hard to breathe? Panic gripped him. Was Yami dying right that second? Was he suffocating? He could see by the way Joey raised an eyebrow that the statement had not entirely mollified the blond. His frustration mounted further. "He may be antisocial and hotheaded, but he is _not_ going to hurt me. I told you all that before—"

"Right. And that was right _after_ he tried to take my _head off_ in the alley," the blond scoffed, shaking his head and narrowing his honey-brown eyes. Yugi felt his cheeks heat and his eyes widen drastically. His cousin had spun to look at her boyfriend with a shocked expression. "And I don't believe for a second that he wasn't serious about doing it, either. He was ready to completely—"

"Whoa, whoa, wait a second. _What_ happened?" Mai demanded icily, forcing her voice above his to make him fall short. Joey shot her a surprised look as his cheeks dusted with pink; he'd forgotten she hadn't followed them out into the alley that day. When he did not answer her, she turned to eye Yugi closely, violet gaze sharp, almost acidic with intensity. "When did this happen?"

Bewildered, the smaller teen glanced at his friend, growing unimpressed as the seconds passed. When Joey refused to meet either of their eyes, flustered and embarrassed more at the act of being caught rather than the idea of being wrong, Yugi felt himself growing further insulted.

"You brought Mai into this without even telling her what happened. Way to go, Joey. What were you planning to do then, use my cousin as a way to make me listen to this _bullshit_?" he spat. A small, swift tremor coursed through him and he sucked in a breath from between his teeth once more, irritated and growing further frustrated. Oh gods, let Yami be okay, let him still be in his room. Let him remain there until he could get back to him. "For fuck's sake, Joey! Yami isn't doing anything wrong. He isn't keeping me against my will. He's not holding me hostage in my room. He's not trying to cut me off from you guys."

The blond blinked. His cousin watched him, searching his face. Imploring her, Yugi turned to face her more completely. Maybe she would listen to reason. She knew him well enough…

"I like him enough to want to spend time with him. It's not as if he's trying to make me ditch you guys. I just haven't brought him around you all because he's not all that comfortable around people and I…"

He paused and pretended to consider his next words. He knew what he wanted to say, that he had to leave and get back to him. But that would make it all seem more suspicious and he couldn't bring that into the equation further than it already was. He needed to get back. He needed to see Yami again.

Nothing would change that.

Just as nothing would change the fact that he cared for his friends dearly.

And he loved his cousin and Joey.

But they didn't need him. They had no necessity of his being there.

So now was one of the moments—as he was sure there would be others, possibly _many_ others—in which he lied to them. He would play them as he would a fiddle, manipulate until they saw it his way. This was a time he borrowed a page from Yami and twisted their conceptions of the events until they sided with him.

He drew in a deep breath, then looked at the table. He tapped his fingers, feigning nerves. "I just…I never knew if our relationship would really work. So I didn't want to have him meet you all officially when we might not even make it to the end of the month, guys. It was stupid. And I'm so sorry." He could feel the way his cousin seemed to bend to his words. His tone had set enough of a mood to make her sway in his direction already. It was a premature choice to count it as a victory, however, and so he forced himself to continue. "But that's all it was. And right now, I really need to get home. Grandpa needs a second set of hands in the shop. And my mom wanted me to help with errands. It's Tuesday, it's one of the busiest days—"

He almost recoiled, his body so tense that he almost sprang backwards. The touch to his wrist was soft, delicate. And, for the briefest of moments, inexplicably, though the direction was wrong and the possibility too miniscule to consider, he hoped it would be Yami.

But the digits were neither cold, nor were they long enough.

His breath felt shattered in his lungs. He almost withdrew his hand, feeling sickeningly dizzy. Her skin was so warm. Was he feverish? Could she feel the heat beneath his skin? He swallowed hard.

His eyes stared blindly at where their skin touched. There was a thin silver ring on the third finger. The engraving was miniscule in size, but stretched the length of it. He remembered the day her parents had gotten it for her. She'd been so excited. He'd laughed when she told him what it said. It was a fairytale rhyme, something about a princess. Her dad had been corny in the way he announced it to her.

And, for a moment, that was the only thought in his head.

And the ring was the only thing in his line of sight.

And all he could recognize was that little silver piece of jewelry.

And somehow it was the most comforting thing in the world to him.

Then, very slowly, he looked up at her.

Her eyes had grown wide, the purple of them a suspicious shade, but they were also kind and concerned. The sight of them made him almost bristle. The sympathy was so unwanted that it nearly brought forth his ire. And he wondered, flustered, staring back at her, if he had ever looked at Yami in that same way.

Was that why he so often lost his temper with him? Was that why his lips sometimes curled back and his teeth seemed to glisten? Was that the reason he seemed to sneer whenever he offered him some form of understanding? Was that _the look he gave him_? Was it?

How much of his presence sent Yami further into the spiral that he was already lingering on the edge of?

And did that kind of expression bring him more stress than he had already previously known?

Did he bring him such outrage and frustration that it might kill him faster?

He drew in a shaky breath. Something inside of him felt as if it were breaking away, growing further hollowed out.

"I just wanted to know if you were okay and that he wasn't doing anything to hurt you." Mai sighed quietly, her eyes flickering briefly towards her boyfriend. There they flashed with something like irritation before finding his again quickly. "I haven't seen you in a while, Yugi. And Joey is right…at least about how it goes hand in hand with the time that the two of you began dating. I just didn't want to find out later that he had been hurting you and I had the chance to stop him before it got that far."

He blinked at her, eyes widening drastically. Was it truly such a big concern to them? Disappearing with someone that they didn't know for a few days? But then, Joey was right. It had been a month. It wasn't just a handful of days. It was a _full month_. And in that time he had not tried to contact them beyond responding to a few stray text messages sent his way. And he had barely answered calls for fear that Yami might grow further annoyed. He'd kept his phone on vibrate when he had seen how much the ringtones hurt the deity's ears. And he'd adapted to only having it in his pocket rather than using it often at night as he used to. That way the light didn't hurt the other boy's eyes when he playing with it in the dark.

He had never even considered how out of character that was for him. To suddenly cut himself off as he had seemed terribly foolish and oddly reckless now that he considered it. Flustered, the small teen opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, struggling for words. He had always answered texts. And he had always answered the phone. He had always at least told one of them when he wasn't going to hang out with them after school or during the weekends. He had always been keen on being the least worrisome of the group.

And yet, when Yami had come into the picture, that had changed. Oh gods, it must have seemed like he truly was some kind of abusive monster who was trying to cut him off from his friends. When he put it altogether, if Mai had ever done such a thing, he'd jump to the conclusion that it was Joey's fault as well.

But he had been so wrapped up in the deity that he had failed to realize a month had passed. Had he known, he hoped he would have put in more of an effort to stay in contact. But then, he didn't know for sure that he would have. He'd been more concerned about stabilizing the god than he was himself or his friends. Even his family had been put aside for the most part.

The reprimand still stung, however. He felt small and stupid, childish beyond himself. He couldn't believe that he had dismissed them in such a way. Nor could he understand the idea that he had assumed that they wouldn't care.

The only time anyone had asked him beforehand had been when Tea had asked him if he was happier with Yami. She had, against her own better judgment, come about the question of whether he was truly going to be okay with dating him instead of her. She had asked about what he had felt those brief few days they had been together, those few dates they had gone on.

And Yugi had looked at her, said he wasn't sure, and left it at that. He hadn't wanted to hurt her by saying that yes, sometimes it felt better being near Yami than it had ever been being around _any of them_. And he didn't want to lead her on by saying no, he didn't think he was completely happy with Yami nor did he always see that they had a future whereas he had once seen with her.

The only time beyond that day that someone had asked was when Tristan had asked if he wanted to hang out after school. When he had declined, the brunet had asked, in a somewhat calm yet suspicious voice, if he was going to hang out with Yami instead. When he had agreed, the brunet had nodded and told him he'd see him at school.

Neither time had Yugi truly considered that they were asking because they were worried about his wellbeing. The concept that they were concerned about him had been a faraway one, if even existent in his thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Mai. I promise. He won't hurt me." He forced his words to come out as confidently as he could, and hoped the expression on his face was something like a smile. But it tasted sour and bitter on his skin and he couldn't help but dwell further in his own frustration. How could he have missed it? How could he have been so foolish? "He's really not as bad as he might seem. He's just a little stressed out right now. And it was _my_ choice to go and see him. He's not hurting me in any way. And I promise he's not overbearing or controlling or anything like that."

In fact, all things considered, Yami did not seem to truly care. He appeared not to give one shit about anything in any way. In retrospect, hindsight as clear as it was, he was abruptly aware of the fact that Yami did not show interest in him more than was necessary to bed him. He had not blinked even once when Yugi grew irate that he dismissed his attempt at conversation. He did not feign interest in small talk with him when he woke up. He did not offer help with homework. He did not ask him to play games with him. He did not watch him from the corner of his eye as Yugi did him. He did not touch him in passing or attempt to tease him. He did not so much as acknowledge his presence in the room unless it was all but forced upon him to do so.

He did not ask about his friends. He did not ask about his family. He did not ask about grades. He did not ask about his classes. He didn't ask about school. He didn't ask about activities. He didn't ask about the arcade. He didn't ask about food or drinks. He did not care. It was as simple as that.

Yami. Did. Not. Care.

The most he showed interest in was his physical wellbeing. When he had dropped a book on his foot, Yami had checked on him. It had been a mere question—a _snicker_ , really—of "You okay, little game?" and nothing else. When he had affirmed that he was fine, Yami had not shown him an ounce of acknowledgment beyond that.

He. Did. Not. Care.

Yami was immortal. He was a god.

Why _should_ he care?

The thought was further souring. But he did not bother to revoke it. Because it prepared him for another reality altogether.

When he was well and healed, he _still_ would not feign interest. He _still_ would not pretend to care. Yami was not a creature who showed someone what they wished of him. He was a god who gave someone what he cared to share, sneered when they were disappointed, and laughed happily when they seemed crestfallen. He was not a dog that would do any and everything in order to please its master.

He was cold and aloof, and so too was his interests. They were few and far between and none resided with Yugi himself. Yami did not want to know more about him because, when all was considered, he did not _need_ to. Yugi's existence would be shortened drastically when the god was able to exist separately from him without such codependency as he was forced to share now.

He was a creature who did not exist for the purpose of the mundane life that people did. He had no reason to worry or fret or care. He just had to survive. And that meant nothing more than protecting Yugi. If he was harmed, Yami would be the one to inflict retribution. If he was sneered at or teased unkindly, the deity would be the one to rip them open in that melodious baritone voice of his.

He was not there to make friends.

He was not there to act as a doting lover.

He was not there to pretend to care more than he did.

And beyond Yugi's physical being, he didn't.

The deity did not care. So he did not pretend otherwise.

Yugi had never before considered it so fully until that moment. All the time they had spent together, he had been attempting to coax Yami into sharing with him. And the other boy had not once bothered to ask him questions about himself. He had not once thought to question him or demand information. No personal details had been required from the taller boy.

And he realized, those reasons were justified to the deity. His lack of care, of sympathy or desire of communication, were absolutely _justified_. And Yugi, for as much as he wished he could argue, had no right to truly question it.

"Okay."

She let go of him. Joey gaped at her, eyes wide as saucers. When he turned back towards him, he looked ready to jump to his feet. But Yugi simply flashed her a grin, then turned and darted out of the door. The blond was too far back to gain any footing and so he stayed where he was in the booth seat beside her. Only once did he call his name, but it only egged the smaller teen to move faster and soon he was racing for his home.

He was panting and red-faced. When he bolted up the stairs, he nearly stumbled back down again. He was exhausted and his ears were ringing. He'd ignored his grandpa's greeting as the horrid truth had come upon him. There was something off about the house. Something was wrong. It was almost insidious in the way it embraced his insides and curled through his mind with confusion.

He stiffened and shook his head. A tremor crashed through him. His hand was shaking. The knob was freezing cold and rattled when he gripped it. His heart pounded painfully in his ears. He couldn't help but hope that he was wrong…

Yet there was something crushing, a defeat he had never encountered before, which swept through him now as well.

Yami was not there.

Yugi did not open the door. His hand was frozen and clammy. The metal was frigid, like winter frost. He relaxed his wrist and bit his lip. Then he stepped back and swallowed thickly. Immediately he thought of the park. He could be there. He could be there or near the arcade. He could be there or he might be in the alleyway. It could be that alleyway or the one which he had killed Ushio in…

His mind was racing. Which was he more likely to go?

But his body would not move as he considered. And he could not picture him in any of those places. A soft tremor swept through him, then another and another. It became a bombardment of them, fine and delicate in the way they shook him.

He had not slipped away, had he? There was no way that he could have, was there? He could not understand he could have. Was it even possible that he would dissipate and Yugi remain?

He trembled harder and he swore his brain rattled within his ears with the harsh jerk. He would have recognized it the moment he did, if he was capable of it…right? He would have known. He would have felt _something inside of him_. Surely there was no way he could have passed and Yugi _not know_!

"Yugi?"

He blinked and forced himself to release the knob. For a moment he could not find the strength to, then he slowly looked over his shoulder. "Oh, hey, Grandpa," he muttered. Who had he been expecting? Surely not Yami.

He almost burst out laughing at himself.

Was it just him or did he sound like he was choking on something?

"Are you all right? You ran into the house like a bat out of hell…"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

He thought to throw the door open. Maybe he could pace and get a clue of where Yami had wandered off to. Maybe if he was moving, his head would clear somewhat. Maybe then he could turn around and find him. He wanted to flee more than he did anything else, however. Thoughts were too troubling and the idea of sorting them left him winded already. He felt sick and dizzy and his legs were shaky, threatening to buckle at any moment.

He wanted to search for him.

But he wanted to lie down.

He wanted to curl up under the covers.

But he wanted to scream.

He wanted to fall asleep and never wake up.

But he wanted to run after the other boy.

Instead he turned to his grandfather completely, raising his chin slightly as if in challenge. If there was any person he could think of to know the deity's whereabouts, it would be him. He was tied to the Puzzle; he was the one who had found it. And Yami was tied to the Puzzle; it was what had dragged him there. And _he_ was tied to the Puzzle; he was the one who had put it together. Maybe if they both tried…

Yet the idea did not fully surface. So he did not bother to try focusing on it.

However, Sugoroku had known about Yami the moment he had completed the stupid Puzzle. He had known him to exist, had even asked Yugi in an abstract way if he existed yet. When he had said, "Have you noticed anything different about yourself?" he had meant Yami's birth. The elderly Motou had explained that his work on the Puzzle had lasted sixteen years because half of his lifespan had to be spent to summon Yami because Yami needed half of his _soul_. The Puzzle had prevented its own completion, in order to draw the god to him.

It had given him a form through half of Yugi's very essence.

And, now, despite everything, it seemed that the elder might know more than he did. He remembered hearing them on the phone before. He had called the hospital when his grandpa had not been there. And he had heard Yami speaking to Sugoroku. And the conversation had been rather easygoing, more playful than anything. He recalled his grandpa saying the deity had saved him by calling the hospital when he had fallen from the ladder trying to reach something in the stock room.

He bore his teeth behind his lips, then struggled not to spit in frustration.

It was so _irritating_! His grandfather was getting closer to Yami than he could manage himself!

Because there had to be something between them. There had to be some kind of mutual understanding blossoming between them, however hesitant it was. And it was something that Yugi could never truly hope to grasp.

He exhaled harshly.

"Do you know where Yami went?"

The words had an instantaneous effect, but nothing that Yugi was hoping for. His eyes grew wide, the plum color of them shocked by the question. He shook his head slowly, bewildered by the very concept, and then frowned at him openly when his grandson's face flashed with frustration. "I was not aware that he was anywhere nearby," he admitted, his voice low with his confusion. He furrowed his brows, his eyes growing slightly darker with mounting discomfort. Yugi blinked at him, his own expression darkening further. "I felt him when he came near the shop that first time we interacted."

Yes, Yugi remembered that. He had said he had felt him from miles back…

"I haven't felt anything like that for a long time now," he said uncomfortably. "I believe the last I felt it was about a week ago?"

Yugi cringed visibly, barely suppressing the urge to cry out. "Oh," he whispered, voice bleak and small.

"Was he here?"

He would find no help here. The thought made him bristle briefly. He ignored him, throwing open his door and chucking his backpack inside before spinning around. "I need to go out. Tell Mom I will be back for dinner," he called rapidly over his shoulder as he dashed past him. He was at the door when the elderly Motou's voice carried down to him from the top step.

"If he doesn't want to be found, he won't be."

The words caused him to stop short. Then the small teen spun around. His breathing was ragged and his eyes were vicious, almost rabid with growing frustration. He looked wild, feral, and Sugoroku considered him almost a stranger for the smallest of moments. Then his grandson scowled at him, his expression morphing into something far more recognizable than what it had been formerly.

He had known that already.

 _No one_ would find Yami if he did not have the desire to be found.

If he so chose to hide away forever, then he would never be seen again.

If someone strayed close and he sought to leave, he would be gone before they caught sight of him.

No one could outdo the deity when self-preservation was called forth.

No one could make him talk if he did not care for it.

No one could make him appear if he did not want to.

Yugi knew that. He knew it well. And he was not afraid to struggle against it if it meant the deity was okay.

Perhaps it would all be in vain in the end. But the effort would still be put in. He could not just leave the deity to flounder so desperately as he seemed to now. There had to be some chance that he might help him. There had to be. He was the one who had put the Puzzle together and he had brought him there by mistake. His health and safety was his responsibility. There was absolutely no way he would face up to it and try his damnedest.

Yugi would protect him if there was any way that he could.

Yami would never care for it. He would most likely sneer and argue again it. But Yugi would still do it.

"I'm still going to try," he spat in response, turning away and throwing the door open in order to storm out.

* * *

If he had ever bothered to find his way to the park, he was not there when Yugi searched for him. No one was, in fact. The grass clearing was unusually desolate, a surprising sight that put him on edge. Usually, even during winter, one could find someone else wandering about. Sometimes it would be a couple who were enjoying the cold weather together. Other times it would be someone walking their dog.

The coming spring time meant that more people should have been far more likely to come about. They should have been finding their way back to the park. But so far it seemed as if no one had thought to but himself.

Yugi felt sick with anxiety at the realization, but it did not stop him. He searched for an hour. He walked amongst the small remainders of trees. He walked around the lake thrice. He even neared the playground equipment just in case. He searched at the bus station on the corner. He checked the inside of the tunnel on the jungle gym set. He even looked around the swings for footsteps. He wandered along the length of the street and back and doubled around another time.

As childish as it was, he wished to find him there.

The arcade had been empty of him. He had dived in there for a few minutes, ducking around people and avoiding the new couple that was Joey and Mai. He'd dodged past Vivian Wong and Kaoruko Himekoji who glanced at him dismissively and did not say a word. He had swept around each arcade game, pausing at the one they had first met on the stools of. And not a single trace was to be found.

The only place left was the last he wanted to look. If he could have ignored its existence altogether, he would. He had not so much as _drifted_ near the alleyway where Ushio's corpse had been found that day. He did not want to remember the report. And the pictures of the blood smeared along the walls scared him. He did not want to remember the designs Yami had drawn across his skin with what the police had assumed to be a hunting knife which he knew was no more than his nails. He did not want to picture the way his body had been broken and sprawled in such an unholy, unnatural position, his throat slashed, skull cracked, ribs shattered into dust.

He trembled at the very thought of moving that way. But he also realized that it was the most likely of places the deity might go. In all reality, the park and the arcade were least likely to herald the red-eyed teen. If there was ever a place that he would have gone should he have found himself in Yami's shoes, Yugi would choose the alley. It would have been a symbol—albeit a small one—of power.

He would be able to reminisce about the energy he had gained there. He would remember and enjoy the carnage he had wrought there. He would revel in the phantom touch that he gained from being there in that spot again. And he would have been desperate to find another way to relive such sensation.

He turned on his heel and the movement left him shaky and dizzy. He swallowed thickly. His eyes flickered to the treetops overhead. A childish fantasy sprang within his mind. Yami would be in one of the skeletal branches, watching him, jumping down. But they were all still bare, as they had been upon his first inspection. Nothing had changed. But now he was further disheartened than ever before.

It was something of a shock when he got to the alleyway.

For some small, split second, he had supposed the walls would still be splattered red. And he had imagined it oozing from the walls as if the brick itself were bleeding. He had thought the concrete to be sticky, stinking of metal and bruised flesh running red. He had thought the white tape to still leave an impression upon the ground, a shape drawn haphazardly around a hideously broken body. He had imagined the yellow _Do not cross_ paper to still be raised across the alley from one wall to the other.

He had even imagined the dumpster to be tossed on its side and blood splattered across the trash scattered upon the concrete.

But the area had already been pressure-washed down. He shivered and looked about himself. The color of the bricks was hideously faded and caked with dirt. The concrete was still disgusting in its gas-like stain. The alleyway was still so fucking _tiny_. It was just long enough for someone to get lost in the dark for a few short minutes. It looked as hideous and cautionary as it always had.

He glanced down the length of it again. Broken glass glittered at one end. Sunlight glinted off the metal of a discarded beer can. Further along, more bottles and cans littered the ground. Someone had gone about their usual lazy way of littering in the small strip of a passageway. But, in the center of it, someone had gone about jokingly outlining where they had assumed Ushio's body to have been. Then he saw there was a small but noticeable insult written across the wall, in the exact spot that Ushio's head had been broken.

Yugi was frozen, staring at it. Then he shivered, the spell lost. The frigid air made his skin prickle painfully. But he did not hesitate further. His steps were cautious despite his knowledge that no one was around. The drinkers and teenagers would come around later in the night. There would be rowdiness and dares and yelling later, when the sun had dipped beyond the horizon again. He drew in a breath but it stank of staleness. Someone had dumped their drink at some point and the sun had only highlighted its stiffness. He hissed out a deep breath, then picked his way carefully further between the buildings.

He cast a glance over his shoulder. No one else was there, of that much he was sure. But he had been hopeful. He had been _so terribly hopeful_ that Yami might appear behind him. He would sneak up and lean over, perhaps hiss a scornful little " _Boo_ " in his ears and make him jump like a startled cat. He looked back and forth along the walls.

Wouldn't that be so easy? If Yami came and found him instead? He nearly laughed. The deity would never do it.

But Yami was nowhere nearby. Yet, somehow, he felt closer to him than he had in even _days_. The familiarity of it made him wish to remain there. And he was almost tempted to press into one of the walls and wait there. Perhaps he would reappear there. Perhaps he wouldn't though. And the latter stuck out to him more apparently.

But there was a cold, intense _power_ which washed through the walls. It pushed and lapped and surged back. Then it pressed tightly, spread outwards, and repeated itself. It was pulsing, he realized. And it was almost like a heartbeat. But it was erratic and dangerous and its touch was scornful upon his skin. Yami was not there, but his magic was.

He almost laughed. It was pleasurable as he glanced about. And it seemed, momentarily, as it surged back towards him, to embrace his shoulders and snuggle against him. Then it pushed against him and it left him cold and his bones frosted beneath his skin. His breath seemed to come out in a thick, billowing puff. An anxiety pushed through his blood, causing his heart to skip and flinch. His organs began to ache, then to pulse and thrum with energy as if in mirror of its fleeting grip. His stomach tossed and his heart beat in his throat.

Yami was gone from the house.

He could not find him anywhere.

The alley seemed only to harbor a painful reminder of his power. He could feel it in soft crackles of energy against his fingers like static electricity. And it lurched against his skin almost as if he were creating it himself. Then it pushed out in an exhale and its wholesome touch grew into a desperate emotional tide of which nearly knocked him to his knees. It was intense, powerful, and he wanted to sob as it stroked over him again.

A few feet inside of the pass, he forced himself to stop. The air was so frigid now, pulsing so softly but forcefully, that he thought for a moment that he could hear it buzzing. It was not wrathful in its thrum, but soft and soothing, almost like a hummed lullaby. But he could think of nothing more than the way Yami would disappear so abruptly at times, how the shadows would separate with lightning, and the ionized air sounded much like this.

Yugi tilted his head and looked back and forth. There was a new instinct inside of him. It fluttered within his skull and pressed hard into his thoughts. The hairs on his arms began to rise to a bristle. The comfort of the residual energy was nothing in comparison to its touch as he searched the shaded area curiously.

For a moment he thought it best to turn and flee. Then, squaring his shoulders, he forced himself to remain in place. His stomach tossed. His head pounded faintly, the pain growing a little more noticeable. But he did not back away. He narrowed his eyes, glancing at the chalk outline on the ground. He shook his head slowly, eyes flickering further towards the wall.

In his dreams, the boy had always been cast a little further to the right. The chalk outline was too straight as well. Ushio's corpse had been beaten and dragged and broken beyond repair. It had been arranged as if had been dropped from the top of a neighboring building and had just somehow barely failed to splatter across the walls.

He could still see him clearly in his mind's eye after so many night terrors. He may not have had the full experience of Yami's mind in his at the moment, but he had recognized where his dreams overlapped somehow with the other's memories. And he knew the complete satisfaction and power that had come with it.

Those memories had been crystalline, preserved like a mosquito in amber, and had wrapped around him in absolution. He had woken many nights, that horrifying, painfully beautiful and deadly image seared into his head. When he'd sat upright, gasping and panting, each time Yami had been right beside him. The deity was always within touching distance if he so reached out. His eyes, those beautiful, stupid eyes, would be cold and glittering, boring into his with growing amusement.

Yugi had wondered, the first time, when the other had smirked at him so gleefully, if he had been attempting to punish him. But Yami had merely seemed satisfied and proud more than anything else. The unnerved sensation that Yugi got from it was often backlash from the nightmares.

But sometimes Yami would be in the seat at the desk. Others he might be at the end of the bed. Once he had been seated on the edge of his metal desk, his legs dangling over the side and kicking like a lazy schoolboy's might. But several times, Yugi had woken, panicked and rasping for breath, and found him at his side, fast asleep. Those nights he would sit up immediately upon hearing his distressed breathing, look at him for a few minutes, and then settle back down.

Those times he watched him, he had found nothing malicious in his expression, however. And oftentimes, Yugi would settle back down, then move to snuggle into his side. The deity would grumble, hiss something about how codependent he was, and fall fast asleep again. But Yugi had grown to recognize the look on his face whenever he woke during those situations.

Yami had been curious. He had wanted to see why he reacted so badly to mere memories.

On the occasional night, Yami would lay awake a few minutes longer than usual. And he would say something that was wrong about the dream. He would point it out as lazily as someone might that a ladybug had landed on their hand.

But it was on those nights that Yami smirked so lopsidedly, his eyes glowing with absolute delight, before telling him goodnight and laying back down that made Yugi _wonder_.

He pictured his mammoth body, clothes all but in tatters. The continuous kicks and tosses of his limbs and the way he slid across the concrete had all but destroyed the threads of fabric. They had hung loosely where they had survived at all. His body had been bleeding in so many places that he had—as had much of the media—initially assumed Yami had flayed him alive.

His entire skull had been so deformed from the incident that it had caved in along several areas. His nose had been dangling from a single piece of tissue. His eyes—one real, one fake—had been gouged out with what had been assumed to be a scalpel though Yugi recognized it to be the deity's sharp nails. His cheeks had been scraped so fiercely that his left had been stripped away completely, becoming nothing more than a gaping hole of red and white and missing teeth. They had found large and small fragments of enamel scattered across the alley.

His legs had been shattered in multiple places his limbs had been disconnected at each joint because of what they had assumed to be a terrible fall from a building nearby. Yugi knew that Yami had just pinned him down, knee to his back or his chest, his stomach, and simply _pulled_. He had seen him doing so that first night he'd witnessed the two of them cross paths.

His arms had been ripped forcefully from their sockets, dangling by mere threads of cartilage and sinew the skin that should have been littered with bruises along his torso had been completely stripped from the muscle. His shoulders had been broken from what had appeared to be a collision of some kind that they couldn't explain. His skull had hit the walls so many times that it had shattered upon impact in multiple places. So much of it had been left in fragments scattered around.

Yugi tossed his head in an attempt to dispel the horrifying image. His breathing came in rough, uneven tugs. His throat felt tight again. He screwed his eyes shut as tightly as he could. But his mind was racing and all he could think about was how much _blood_ there had been.

The initial idea was that Ushio was _not_ the only one to have been killed that day. There was such an abundance of it that they had thought there was more than just one person. But all of the DNA was singular, completely his. Not a single sample of it had been anyone else's.

They had initially assumed it was some kind of animal attack because of the brutality of it. But it was hard to say that when they were basically isolated from the wildlife as it was. And it did not help that none of his attacks were known to be caused by any animal.

The most Domino City ever saw was the occasional serow and deer. And they would only charge, possibly, if a person wandered too close. Even then, they'd probably flee first rather than attempt to fight a person off.

He frowned and opened his eyes again. He took a step back and shook his head. He would take the longer way home. There was no reason for him to bother with looking for Yami any longer. He would not find him.

He knew that more than he thought he did anything else. But it did not stop him from wishing that he might appear somewhere nearby. And it did not make him falter in wondering at the last possibility he knew of. There was the hospital, by some small chance in hell. They had come across each other there once, though he often focused more acutely on the moments that had passed afterwards.

He remembered looking through the window of Serenity's hospital room, seeing Yami sitting on the roof of the building across the street, his feet dangling over the side. He blinked, pictured it perfectly, and his feet began to make a path towards the building though he had not truly considered it before that moment.

He had looked so dark and powerful then. He had looked intense and dangerous. And his eyes had glowed with a beauty that was somehow hideous all the same. He had been so healthy then, even if he had been hunched for the most part, his position lazy and casual. He had even looked so relaxed that Yugi had desired, for a while, to be able to make him comfortable enough to mimic it. But Yami was wired and full of predatory impulse when they were within proximity of each other. So the ability to relax had not been something that Yugi had ever managed to draw from him.

He was through the doors of the white-washed sterile building before he had fully considered it. The nurses took a long look at him but did not bother to question him. Only one of them greeted him long enough to say that she was in the same room since the last visit. Somehow this statement almost sent his heart beating three times its usual rate. It seemed, for only the smallest sliver of a moment, that perhaps he would look from the window and see him there again.

Yugi nodded at her, mumbling something that he thought sounded vaguely like a thanks, and then made his way there as he normally would.

The staff was so used to seeing him with Joey when he visited that they did not even blink twice. Since his grandfather was not there, they had no reason to assume he was going elsewhere. He had also heard a few of them giggling that they would make a cute couple, though her brother bristled each time and shot them dirty looks. Joey had pulled him aside on more than one occasion to tell him that he had better not think that he could even _look_ at her a certain way or he'd kick his ass. Yugi wasn't interested, but Joey had always been sure to make him _well_ aware he had no chance of ever getting his blessing just on the principle that Yugi was his best friend and Serenity his sister.

The small teen glanced about the room for a moment. Then he drifted inside, feeling as scattered as a leaf caught in the tug of a breeze. He knew she was awake even if she was simply lying there for the most part. She had begun to do that more often than not, he realized, and it had been a slow development. He blinked and frowned as he considered. What was wrong with her?

Whenever he had seen her like this, he thought she looked as if she had lost most of her will. He knew that she had taken her gradual decay of eyesight very badly. He had seen her suffer through most of it. He had seen Joey react just as badly more than once. He would scream and curse, sometimes punch or kick the wall. Yugi would stay quiet, let him vent, then try in that useless way of his to attempt to make him feel better.

But then, what else was there to do for her now? What more could she actually do within the hospital? If she turned on the television, she would be introducing herself to potential deafness if someone entered the room. And it was not like the noise would keep her company by any means. She had no reason to actually sit up. There was nothing to do _but_ lie around.

And, with her sight so far gone, he imagined that the room seemed far more isolated. And it probably scared her. The idea of it made him feel sick. He didn't know how it was that he could adapt to something so traumatizing as this either. He relied so heavily on that sense, his sight his prime way of interacting with the world. His stomach curled and tossed. He was both sympathetic and weighed down by the dread of the possibility.

But then, was there not an easy fix for him? Yami would be able to show him his eyes. He had done it before, in the alleyway. In a split second between satisfaction and confusion, when he had turned his eyes onto Yugi, they had shared his vision. And his senses were so much stronger, so much keener, with such definition as to see the very particles of air. He could do it again, if something happened to him…

Not that he thought the deity would truly be willing, however. He nearly grinned at the thought. Yami would much more likely try to cut his own throat with his fingers than anything else.

But he did not think that there was much of anything he would have wanted to do if he was blind. Then again, there was always sex. The thought caused him to grin despite himself. If he was blind, having sex with Yami, he was pretty certain, the deity would most likely want to kill him more than ever. It almost warranted a death wish altogether. Considering the deity's hatred of him, the concept was only made more ludicrous. Besides, from what he remembered, it had always been something that stimulated girls more than it could guys.

That would have been something he could have done with Tea, never Yami.

But he couldn't stop himself from snorting out loud. Serenity startled and he flushed, face falling immediately. He straightened his shoulders and turned to face the bed. "Hey, Serenity," he greeted in as soft and easy a tone as he could managed. But his muscles had grown tighter with tension and his breath was uneasy.

Yet it was not Yami's lack of presence there which unnerved him now. It was because, for a very small window of a second, he was fearful that she could see him more clearly today than she had in _months_.

He drew in a deep breath. Serenity had days where her vision was unusually a keen, a sign that she was truly losing it altogether. The muscles were trying to repair themselves and failing. And she got brief, small glimpses, of what the world _should_ have looked like, versus what it actually _did_. They were few and far between, and when she blinked, he knew she often dispelled her sight. He had never mentioned it. But he had seen it each time. Her face would fall, become heartbroken in expression, and it made him tremble.

"Yugi?"

Her voice was so much lighter than his. He blinked. Her natural voice was always so much more easygoing than anything he had ever tried to force into his own tone before. She blinked at him, and her eyes startled him for a moment as he wandered towards the bed.

If he had not known the color long before now, he would have assumed they were always this dull shade of grayish-hazel that greeted him there. But she appeared to be focused on him entirely, by some miracle, though she squinted and strained her eyes to track him as he moved to grab a chair. He pulled it up beside the bed, taking a seat and watching her, for a moment feeling terrible that he could see her so well when she couldn't do the same to him.

"How are you today?"

It seemed so false to be asking her such a thing and he always wished he could swallow his own tongue. His cheeks were flushed as he bit his lip. The words were somehow almost mocking to him. He pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth in momentary frustration. Serenity did not respond at first. He wondered if she was too undone by his question as well and so wished instead to simply stare at him some more. She had turned her head and now she was straining her eyes harder in order to truly take in his profile. But he could tell that she was using her ears instead, listening to his voice more than anything else. As long as he made a noise, she could pinpoint him.

"I'm okay. They say my eyesight is going to be completely gone within the next six months," she admitted quietly. The frown that marred her beautiful face was deep and troubled. But she looked incredibly puzzled as well and Yugi felt oddly distressed as he realized it was not her own words or the diagnosis, but his presence that made her so.

He swallowed hard. What did she see? What had caused her to frown like that? He worried for a moment that she might say something, highlight the oddity, and it made his stomach knot. They looked at each other and she wondered what it was that made her pause like this.

Was it that his shoulders seemed hunched and his eyes were distant? Or was it because he seemed smaller and somehow meek?

She had never truly applied the latter to Yugi before.

He was small and quiet, and extremely kind to anyone who crossed his path. But never before had she considered him _meek_. It troubled her now to think it, watching him closely and struggling to keep a clearer picture of him in her head.

She had known her brother to describe him as such once or twice, before they had become friends, but she had never seen him act as such. And, more often than not, her brother had even admitted to her that Yugi had surprised him with some of the things he had said and done. He had called him a spitfire and a firecracker and a little bomb more than once, all affectionate nicknames that he had used to describe her more than once too. It was a brotherly thing for him, and Yugi had taken her spot when she was not around…

She had heard about Yugi mouthing off to Ushio in Joey and Tristan's defense, nearly getting himself beaten to death seconds later because of it. When it had happened, he'd crawled to his feet again, groaning, then turned and limped off after checking on them. She remembered Joey laughing that Yugi had said he'd snuck out and needed to get home before his mom or grandpa noticed. He had stood up to one of the teachers when she had gone off on Tea during class. The incident had resolved itself the moment he opened his mouth to point out that she was not supposed to treat someone like that. From there no one had brought it up again, not even in passing. And she had even heard that his most recent argument with someone was a boy in the hallway trying to steal lunch money from a younger student. They had nearly wound up turning around attacking Yugi before her brother and Tristan had arrived.

What she had heard most recently, however, had been something else entirely, and supposed maybe it could be applied to his attitude now. Serenity licked her lips, preparing herself.

"So, how is Yami?"

Yugi jerked so violently that she jumped in response. His mouth opened and closed and he gaped at her. But his shift of movement had been a blur in her vision and the action made her grow still. Apparently he had shocked her just as badly as her question had him. He flushed, but his focus was still on the words that had just left her mouth. His eyes grew wide, the size of twin moons, and his voice was low and strained, choking as he asked, "W-who told you about Yami?"

She hesitated and considered not answering. He looked so horrified that she even knew. What if she got mad? But he was staring at her and his expression seemed to be losing its unnerved edge and becoming somewhat frustrated now…

"Joey was complaining about someone named Yami," she said finally. "When I asked he said he was your…boyfriend."

He grimaced and ducked his head. Her voice had become soft and almost forlorn as she spoke the word. He closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his head. "Oh…" He couldn't think of anything else to say, opening and closing his mouth. But his eyes grew narrow as frustration began to nip at his insides.

What business did Joey have telling her about _Yami_? He knew he wouldn't have told her outright unless he was ranting and she asked. But how dare he tell her when he should have been the one to do it! Why should he have done that when _Yugi_ should have been the one to tell her _himself_? Now it would seem like he had been hiding it from her, and that was more damaging than anything else.

It was a selfish thought to have, he knew, but it was also infuriating to him.

It was hardly Joey's right to tell her his business like this. He had no tact in explaining the situation either. He was sure it had been more of a sneer from the blond before he realized who he was talking to. And then he was sure he would not have noticed the hurt on her face when he said it, because he would still be mad. And when Joey was mad, he tended to ignore the things around him. He was too hotheaded. It made it hard to reach him when he was upset.

He huffed. Mai would have a lot of work on her hands.

If he had been there, or even if Mai had, the opportunity could have been taken to soothe her pain somewhat. He knew she had to have been hurt immensely, especially as she was the last to find out about the boy that he was apparently following around and allowing to take over his life. But this was such a new situation, and he had no idea how he was meant to truly navigate it…

He fidgeted, swallowing thickly. He was not sure he wanted to truly explain that all of the sudden—or as everyone else had seen it; fuck, actually, even _he_ had seen it that way—he was gay. But then, he wasn't sure that the word truly applied to him. He was not attracted to guys. He was attracted to Yami. And he had a feeling that was only because of their tie. Yami was the only guy he had looked at and thought, _Hey, let's bone him_. And that was only after all of the fighting and finally just feeling like he _had_ to do it.

It wasn't burdensome by any means. But it was harder to admit to himself that he might have turned around and declared himself attracted to Yami in any other way. He doubted that it would have happened in any other way. If they had not been struggling with this bond, he doubted wholeheartedly that they would ever have felt anything towards each other. And, if Yami was human, he was sure he would have been a sociopath.

Yugi nearly grinned before squashing it down.

He shouldn't have been making jokes right now.

He shook his head for a moment. It had been a last ditch effort to find him, coming to this room. And now he felt stupid, utterly, irreparably _stupid_ for ever having assumed he might be nearby. But more than ever, the stupidity had become shameful as well. Now he was forced to talk to her late— _too_ late—about Yami and it was painful to him. He wished with everything inside of him that he could have _some way_ to soften the blow. He hoped that Mai had been there with him while he was ranting. She would have known what to do.

But the forlorn note in her voice had clued him in. Joey had simply blurted it out when she had asked. There had been no cushioning.

He was not sure that any attempts to actually comfort her would have panned out, however. But she had been crushing on him for a full year now. And he had known, had tried his hardest not to draw too much attention to it. He had been nice to her, treated her as he would any other friend. But, in the back of his mind, he had been struggling. He had been trying his _damnedest_ to find some kind of way to tell her that she was not the girl he saw himself with, that she was just a friend, would only ever _be_ a friend. He had been struggling to find a way to tell her very gently that he was uninterested.

He had thought to get a moment alone with her more than once. While her brother was off flirting with the nurse or took a call from his mom or something or other happened, he had considered it. He had wanted to tell her—as gently as he could—that he was flattered but was not going to date her. He would have said something along the lines of wanting to remain friends. It would not have been as simple to deal with her if she cried, but he would still have tried either way.

But each chance had blown up in his face. He would see her expression, how hopeful she was, how happy she appeared because he was there. And it would crush him to think that he would wound her in such a way. Unrequited crushes were hard; she had been caught on him for a full year. He couldn't do it. Each time he had shied away from it.

And each time the nurses would make a joke and giggle about how he was practically her first love. And he would die a little inside because of it. And now, after hearing that hollow ache in her voice, he could not help but feel that there was more truth to the teasing than he had originally considered.

"I…" He paused, hesitating for a long moment. Was he really meant to apologize? He had not done anything wrong, had he? The fact that he had no desire to date here—was that truly a fault of his? It wasn't as if anyone could control their crushes, right?

He blinked, then opened and closed his mouth again. He was sorry that she was going through this. And it hurt to see her like this. It hurt to know that she was so sad because of him. But he could not feel bad for not liking her back in such a way. They were good friends.

They would be even _better_ friends later in life. But he did not know how to phrase those words in a gentle way. And his mouth was growing dry, the words bitter and harsh on his tongue. If he opened his mouth and said he was sorry, he was sure it would come out much nastier than he ever wished it to.

"Serenity, it…"

"It's okay."

He flinched and swallowed hard. She wounded exhausted and incredibly hurt. But he had no words for her. There was nothing that could truly soothe her hurt. And what was there he was truly meant to apologize for? He had not led her on. He had simply been nice to her, as he was with everyone else. And she had known about his crush on Tea that whole time.

But still, he found himself bowing his head, unable to look at her any longer.

"Will you…tell me what he's like?"

Yugi bit his lip and chewed his cheek for a moment longer. Then he shook his head and reached up to run his fingers through his hair. She was a lot braver than he was. If it were Tea to have a boyfriend and she was finally coming around to telling him, he wouldn't be able to ask her that. Then again, he also wouldn't want to know. It seemed almost masochistic as well, as if he would have been punishing himself with the demand of knowing what it was that he had that Yugi didn't.

But it was clear to him that she was asking for his sake. It wasn't because she was curious. It was because she wanted to give him a chance to talk about Yami and know he wasn't being judged for it. She was too far out of the loop to know more than the complaints her brother had issued.

Her strength cowed him for a moment. She was asking him that and she was struggling to find the best way to deal with her growing blindness. How she did not succumb to the stress of the situation was beyond him.

Yugi hesitated for what felt like hours. What was Yami like? Was he meant to give her the good or the bad? He was sure that Joey had painted him out to be some kind of devil. Yugi tilted his head again slightly, nearly smirking. He was though, wasn't he? He was vicious. He was rude. He was threatening. He was murderous. He was angry. He loathed the only person who could help him. He was not beyond blackmail.

He could swallow an entire room by mere presence alone.

He was unpredictable.

He would lash out without warning.

He was unreadable.

He was dangerous.

But he was also passionate. He was a soothing balm after the stress of school. He could _be_ friendly when it benefited him. He was easier to understand than his own friends. He did not hide his motivations from him. He loved to play games. He was funny when he did not bother to use a filter. He listened when he knew something was important.

He was willing to take the brunt when things went wrong.

He was loyal to him.

He was often coolheaded until something happened.

He was easy to be around for the most part.

He was protective.

He frowned and bit his lip hard enough that he thought he tasted blood. The flesh throbbed painfully for a moment. "He…is not…like anyone else," he finally said quietly. He tasted those words on his tongue, feeling embittered by their lack of answer. Then he closed his eyes tightly. What more was there truly to say?

That when he smiled, he seemed to captivate? That his smirk was devilish and put a supermodel to shame? That his aura was magnetic and he could pull someone to him just as easily as he could push them away?

Giving her half-truths seemed like a blow to their friendship. But revealing anything beyond that seemed like a willing betrayal to Yami. And hadn't he done that to him enough as it was? It seemed every other thing he did was one big mistake, one huge betrayal which further wounded them.

He sighed softly and leaned forward, propping his elbows against his knees as he tried to think of more to say. He stared at the marbled tiles, scratching at his cheek for a moment as he considered. "He's stubborn, picky, annoying, the most intelligent person I know, antisocial to the extreme, an introvert, and he likes to pick fights before he'll have an actual conversation with you. He likes games, he's passionate, but he fights so often and so hard that it makes it impossible to get to know him at times. And I think he sometimes just burns himself out that way."

The moment of silence between them was strained and cold.

"What does he look like?"

Yugi faltered for a moment, eyes widening. "Didn't Joey tell you?"

Her expression was unreadable, but the pause was just long enough to tell him that he had but she was asking him now instead. She wanted to see him in her head, and Joey would never have given her the details she so desperately craved. He drew in a deep breath, exhaling softly, and considered the best way to describe a god trapped in the human body formed from half of his soul.

"He looks a lot like me. When Tristan and Joey first saw him, Tristan actually thought he was my twin." He paused and chewed the inside of his left cheek, the blood harsh and metallic on his tongue. He narrowed his eyes, considering. "But he's taller than me by an inch or two. His hair is a lot wilder than mine. His is a little longer and it's black with red tips, and his bangs are the same yellow as mine. He has…more bangs than me and they're definitely a bit longer, but not much. His jaw is sharper than mine, so his bangs frame it a little bit more than mine do."

He could see her working that detail into her head. She was making the best effort she could to put together a puzzle that he wondered if she truly had any right to seeing the face of. He drew in another breath, then looked away.

"He has streaks that look as wild as lightning bolts, so they shoot upwards in the center of his hair and then he has two others that are right behind his bangs just a little above his ears. His teeth are perfectly white and his lips are a bit of a creamier shade than mine. His skin is a beautiful blend that looks almost gold in color, like beach sand." Did she know what beach sand looked like? Had she ever been to the beach before? His cheeks flushed. Should he go back and change that? He shook his head. "He smirks more than he smiles and when he does, he tends to tilt his head slightly to the right and curl the left side of his mouth a little further than his right. He has a thinner collarbone which makes it look sharper under his skin and it's more noticeable when he has a choker on. He's got a slightly thinner body than me and his fingers are a lot longer, his nails are almost perfectly shaped, and his lashes are as long and thick as mind, but his eyes are more narrow and exotic so…"

When he failed to say anything more, she seemed to be hesitating, and Yugi blinked as it occurred to him the reason behind the way she tilted her head to the side and frowned faintly.

"Red. His eyes are red."

She blinked, visibly startled by the idea. Her mouth opened faintly into a small "o" shape as if she could not fully picture someone with such a color to their eyes. Or, perhaps, it was the idea that he looked like him and had that color to his eyes. Maybe that was what threw her off…

He shivered and shook his head, nails digging into his cheek as he struggled to think of a way to explain his eyes in a way that would make the picture clearer to her still.

"They are…honestly, they're a million different shades of red. And his pupils are the _darkest_ things you will _ever_ see in your life. They seem to absorb all of the light in the room and it looks really strange and different, beautiful. That's why I said exotic. Because they're so strange but they're also really, really beautiful too and I…I really wish that you could see them sometimes, Serenity."

The silence stretched out so tightly that Yugi began to think of it as a noose around his neck, pulling and stretching and reforming itself in order to close his throat at any moment. He flinched away and stared at the floor when she brought it to its completion, seemingly cutting the air from his lungs and making his throat feel swollen with disuse.

"Do you love him?"

He breathed in roughly to keep from wanting to leap from his seat and run for it.

"No." She was waiting for more, he realized belatedly, and he closed his eyes tightly. "Not yet. But I don't know him well enough for that yet."

 _And I might never_ , he thought with a sickening feeling. _I might never know him well enough to love him_. _I might never grow to love him simply because he is who he is and I am who I am_. _We may never grow to care for each other more than the matter of survival that keeps us together now_.

The thought was lonely and cold and left him almost breathless. Desperation clawed at his throat. Maybe if he changed the words…

But there was truly no telling. He had admitted it to himself before they had ever slept together that first time. He could very well never grow to love the red-eyed teen. But their bond was strong and fierce, and even without that romantic element; at the very least he could say he felt _something_. A loveless relationship had never been something he had pictured for himself before. But he had grown to understand it, especially where it might apply to himself and Yami, and he had explained it to Tea. And, when he had, he had begun to wonder if perhaps it was the best thing for both of them.

But the truth was that he had no idea the depth of emotion that Yami could truly experience. What was the spectrum, exactly? He knew he felt anger and hatred; he had seen it in spades. He knew he could be surprised; his own words and actions had caused him to expose such a reaction before. Once or twice he had witnessed him anxious. And once, he thought that he had seen him immersed in guilt.

In the grand scheme of things, he did not think he had seen more than those emotions displayed on his face before. And he had only felt these when he had interacted with him.

But then…who was to say that he _couldn't_ feel love eventually?

But then…who was to say that Yugi would ever even want that?

What would prevent them from being so secure in their relationship, loveless and borne of desperation and need, that they would never want that? Perhaps love wasn't made for the two of them. It would not have surprised him if that was the case…

Yugi shook his head sharply, banishing that line of thoughts. "What did Joey tell you about us anyways?" he finally asked, looking at her. His shoulders rose in a bristle, his spine tightening in preparation. He had no idea if he really wanted to hear what he had told her. But he needed to have an idea of it. "I know he isn't exactly _thrilled_ with Yami."

"He said that…Yami is no one he wants you around. He said he was…nasty and violent when they first met. And he thinks that he's abusing you." She hesitated and when she blinked, he swore she was focused on him completely again. And he thought she could see through him, into him, because he recognized that sudden clarity in her eyes there. The thought was almost terrifying to him, but he swallowed the anxiety in an effort to keep his senses long enough to hear the rest of her words. "But you don't talk about him like he's doing that to you. You kind of talk about him like…he's just there. Like he's important enough that you care but not that he's taking over your life. You actually…you sound almost indifferent, Yugi."

Did he? Yugi blinked and watched her. He swore she was searching his face, trying to find something he was keeping hidden. He settled into the backrest of his chair, uncomfortable and slightly unnerved. Was he truly indifferent? He did not think so—not at all.

He was losing his mind that Yami was not nearby. He had even come to the hospital and visited Ushio's murder site in order to find him. And he had fought with her brother just hours ago in order to get back to the house even though he had not been there

And he was _still_ consumed by the idea that he was dissipating somewhere, alone and probably horrified and panicked. Even if common sense reminded him that he would know, should it happen, he would feel it, he was _still_ freaking out over it. He still longed for that familiar pulse and bond between them to be as powerful as it had been before.

Was that indifference?

Or was she just hopeful that that was what she heard in his voice?

But, he realized slowly, his voice had grown unusually flat when he had told her that he did not love him. Perhaps that was where she had come to the conclusion that he was indifferent about it all. He would have thought anyone hearing his words in such a tone would have come upon a similar assumption.

But, he knew for a fact, that he had not sounded similarly when he had described him to her. He had felt every word as it had left his mouth, warm and almost gentle as they fell from his tongue. He had even become wistful towards the end, when he had set upon describing his eyes. He knew that. He had known the moment he had thought to open his mouth.

"I just don't see the big point in Joey freaking out," he stated casually, shrugging. "He doesn't need to worry about me so much. I can take care of myself. I have been for sixteen years, after all. And Yami is hardly abusive or overbearing like he thinks."

"He said that you chose him over everyone else."

"No, actually, I didn't," he murmured, voice beginning to grow a little frustrated. But _hadn't_ he? He had wanted to help him more than he had desired to be around the others. But it was also a matter of survival for the other boy. Yami needed him around, had to have his energy. They had found that exposure had helped for a small handful of time, but it had never been enough. It could never _be_ enough. And it definitely would not help him to recover now. "I wanted to spend a little time with him since it's a _relationship_ and Yami is still tentative about it. I just wanted to spend some time easing him into it instead of constantly bouncing back and forth between my friends and him for the time being. Yami isn't all that social and he wasn't thrilled by the idea of having an actual relationship. But I talked him into it and I plan to stick it out as long as possible."

But what was the line he was meant to draw? When was something _too much_? Was it when Yami hit him? He had already done that numerous times. He had lashed out violently and even tried to kill him while he slept. He had punched him once or twice. He had thrown him into a wall. He had choked him. Hell, just the day before he had attacked him in his room.

Yugi blinked and bit his lip. And he had killed people. He had seen him attempt to kill Ushio, then had dreams of his process upon following through with it. He had listened to numerous threats on his friends' and family's life.

He blinked. But Yami was easily subdued more often than not. If he spoke the right words or reacted the most positive way he could manage, he tended to relax. He would pull back from the anger and hatred for moments at a time. He would shift it backwards and force it away long enough to hold conversation or play a game. He could maintain his attitude, could hold his frustration at bay.

He knew his temper. And he held it away more often than not.

But he was wavering now. He was unstable. He was angry and hurt. He was lashing out more violently than he had before. He was growing impatient and further upset. And neither of them had a solution.

A Shadow Game could only be played if someone attacked him. And he wasn't looking to see someone killed. But it gave Yami energy and it was a valid reason to turn a blind eye upon realization that such an event had happened, wasn't it?

He wondered, suddenly, if the other boy could hear him. He really wished he might be able to. If he could, then maybe he would be more assured that he would not harm him as he so often feared. Maybe then he could relax, if only minutely, and they could start to work a little easier on finding some kind of balance to the whole situation.

"Oh."

He grimaced at her dismayed expression but did not know how to console her. Instead he turned towards the window, looking out of it and wondering if perhaps he might see him across the street, seated on the building, kicking his legs or simply staring. But the spot was just as barren as he knew it would be somewhere deep inside of him, and with it his last hint of hope began to dissipate completely.


	3. Chapter III

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Yu-Gi-Oh!**

 **Warning: So, the same as last time. The cursing should be relatively mild but grows a little more at times, Season 0 Yami whose a bit more unhinged in this story than he was in _Behind You_ , so keep that in mind.**

 **Note: There are various/copious mentions of blood, some graphic images of death, sensual moments and feelings, touches of violence/abuse, slight OOCness but it's due to stress (and it's mostly going to be from Yugi whose going to suffer pretty badly where Yami is involved and choices he makes in order to help Yami), slight touches of depression, possible triggers**

 **Update Schedule: I'm going to try (again) for bi-weekly updates**

 **Okay so I'm updating earlier than I thought (I was going to wait the official two weeks and post on the 30th like I had planned, but I work that day and I doubt I'd have to time to squeeze it in with my schedule the way it is). The slight OOCness is more apparent here for Yugi (because of stress). Yami is just being his usual self at first. He hits OOCness towards the end of the scene (and that'll be explained further into the story and definitely in the upcoming sequels to this one).**

Chapter III

Yugi was already pretty annoyed by the time he got to school. Yami's disappearing act had thrown him off balance and his night had been filled with sleepless pondering. He'd panicked that he was dying. He'd tried once to summon him, but had failed when he found himself unable to force himself to use the deity's true name. It had hit too close to him that he might summon him there but leave him stranded and unable to leave if he was too weak…

When he got into the classroom, only his blond best friend was there. And Joey shot him a look that bordered so close to lewd that Yugi looked over his shoulder to see if Mai was there. When he turned back, the blond waved him over hurriedly.

Did he have another porn tape?

Yugi furrowed his brows but shrugged it off. When he got closer, Joey waggled his brows at him briefly, his brown eyes bright with humor and a hint of seriousness which made Yugi's stomach knot. He frowned at him, unable to think of the best way to ask what was going on, and stared at him pointedly instead.

"Come on, sit down already," Joey sniped at him playfully. Yugi hesitated, then slowly took a seat and moved to put his notebooks on the desk in front of him. Tea and Tristan were a few feet away, in the doorframe, coming over rather slowly, when the blond finally began to explain himself.

"So, Yugi, dude, there's this new kid who _loves_ games, _hates_ physical activities, and _loves_ Duel Monsters," he announced with a wicked grin. The small teen furrowed his brows and frowned deeply, confused. His insides had grown cold, as if filled with ice, and Yugi found himself wondering at the way he continued to stare at him. Joey was leaning towards him when the other two of their group began to take there seats and Yugi found himself stiffening uncomfortably when he spoke again. "His name is Bakura Ryou. You'll like him when you meet him."

"Um…Okay…I guess." He couldn't exactly shake away how strange and tense the entire situation made him feel. But he couldn't let Joey see that either. So he turned away and picked at his notebook for a few minutes. When the staring did not alleviate, he finally turned back with a puzzled frown while Joey remained grinning at him almost as if he had a secret he was dying for Yugi to guess at.

But the smaller boy had lost any sense of temptation. His curiosity did not even peak. After the long night he'd had, he could only find so much to care about. And, whatever it was Joey was so excited about, it didn't fall into that realm at all.

He was becoming unnerved and embarrassed as the minutes passed. The bell would ring soon and the class would have to settle in. And the idea of asking if he had a porn tape or something that he wanted to share was not a question he wanted to breathe in front of anyone else. Joey was braver than him in that respect; he would talk about that all he wanted. Yugi didn't want to have people know what it was he was doing and what day or with what tape.

It also did not help that Joey tended to be incredibly crass and talk about porn in front of both Mai and Tea. Mai would quirk a brow and Tea would roll her eyes and grow annoyed. But Yugi tried his hardest to keep from sharing the same space as Tristan and Tea and Mai when such a discussion was brought up.

So he turned away again, struggling to ignore the way the blond's gaze burned into his skin. And the other two sensed the tension, he was sure, but thankfully neither did anything to question it. They looked back and forth between them once. Then Tristan launched into a conversation with the blond that kept him busy, their talk turning into their usual banter. And Tea watched Yugi with a confused expression even as she made mild conversation with the other two.

He, however, did not bother to try to talk. It took too much energy, and he was so tired as it was. Besides that, he was not sure he wanted to have a conversation. And his mind was back on Yami again, anxious with where he might be hiding, whether he was okay or not. He doubted he could be okay when he himself was so exhausted. Yami had to be feeling similarly, right?

He chewed his cheek, picking at the metal spiral of his notebook and trying his hardest to ignore the sickness that seemed to swell in the pit of his belly.

In his distracted state, it took him a minute too long to realize what his best friend had been implying in telling him about the new boy. He was still fiddling with his notebook when the student walked in. Joey nudged him as a sense of dread began to tighten his spine. He jerked his head in the new boy's direction and Yugi followed his movement with a confused expression.

Then the cold feeling in his stomach coursed into his blood and pulsed through his body in thundering beats. A chunk of ice as hard as granite dropped to the pit of his stomach. And then, abruptly, he found his body heating with anger. He spun on him, anger rising to infuriation, and a hideous blaze of intense rage swept through his marrow.

"What the _fuck_ do you think you're doing?" he spat furiously. The tone startled both Tea and Tristan enough to make them jump in their seats and turn to him with confused looks. But he hadn't lowered his voice, he realized a second too late, as the class grew silent and everyone in the room turned to look at him. He would have flushed under normal circumstances, unnerved by all of the attention, but now he merely breathed raggedly through his teeth. "What the actual _fuck_ do you think you are _doing_ , Joey?"

"Yugi, you're making everyone stare," Tea whispered, horrified. When he ignored her, looking ready to snap at the blond again, she reached out to touch his elbow. He spun on her, confused, and she cleared her throat awkwardly. "Everyone is staring."

"I already _know_ that, damn it."

"Who, Yugi, calm down a second," Tristan objected, startled when his friend turned to him with a glare to match the one he had shot Tea seconds before. He stiffened in his seat and backed up a little in the confines of his chair, eyes wide and owlish.

"Motou, is there a problem?"

Normally such an admonishment would have made Yugi bow his head and apologize. On a normal day he would have been too ashamed and embarrassed to do more than shake his head. Today was not that day.

In his rage, he turned on her as well, spitting, "I don't know yet. I'll have to get back to you on that." Her astonished expression went more or less unnoticed by the small teen as he turned back to launch himself at Joey again. "Well? What the hell do you think you're doing, Joey? Because I know it had better _not_ be what I _think_ it is."

The blond was frozen in place, gaping at him for a moment. Then he blinked, face becoming bright red when he saw the fury in his eyes. "I—"

"You cannot really be trying to set me up all of the sudden with this new kid. I mean, I know you wouldn't take it that far just because you don't like Yami, right? No, I _know_ you wouldn't be doing that because then I might have to _reconsider_ who it is that I think my best friend _is_ ," he snapped spitefully. Out of the corner of his eye he caught his teacher gaping at him and only then did his anger begin to dissipate. He couldn't keep up the fury he felt when all he could see were multiple people staring at him with such shocked expressions.

And, oh gods, were some of them snickering now? His cheeks almost flushed but he thought it might take too much energy and even his body rebelled against that. But the humiliation crept over him regardless and he turned away with his head down for a moment.

But it only lasted a breath. Because, then, he saw the new boy. And he had such a horrified, startled expression on his face, that Yugi felt more rage come over him. He had not noticed him before that second, and now he was infuriated even more.

"Yug, look—"

"Shut up. We're in class."

He didn't look at him again. Instead he looked at the clock in an effort to keep from growing any angrier. The exhaustion came over him immediately again, making him feel small and timid as the seconds passed. His face was burning when he looked at his notebook and picked at the metal spiral again, fingers aching when it caught beneath his nails.

But, from the corner of his eye, the new student was still gaping at him. And now Yugi tilted his head to get a better look at him, unnerved by his continued staring. He was taller than Yugi, he realized, though it was not by too much. And his eyes were shaped almost like his own, though they appeared more like Tea's when he turned his head just enough to see better. But the edge of the arches of them was far more akin Yami's. His hair was so white he thought of snowflakes and the color of his eyes was a bright and almost mesmerizing shade of purple that made his stomach toss violently to the side.

He thought immediately of Yami's eyes, so full of life and color and strength. And, for the briefest of seconds, he almost imagined them in this new boy's as well. It caused him to raise his head, body cold and frosted with ice, but the moment had passed before it even truly began. Disgust made him bristle and shame made his heart lurch in his throat.

He turned back to the chalkboards. No one had eyes like the deity's. And it stung that he had ever even considered comparing the two gazes.

Yugi ignored him when he took a seat nearby. When he introduced himself to some of the other students only a few seats away, he kept his eyes on the front and stared at the boards. The teacher was watching him, awkward in appearance, almost flustered, as if she did not know what to do with the idea that he had snapped at her minutes before. He was acutely aware of the stare she gave him around her lecture, though she did not call him out on it. And so he did not bother with an attempt to apologize for his outburst.

Even when the bell rang, she did not say a single word. So, despite his shame, he crept out the door behind the others and refused to say a word in apology.

He finally spoke to him hours later, when lunch had come around. The day had dragged by so slowly that he was beginning to think that it would never come to an end. In his head he had been unable to push away his thoughts of Yami, of how small he had looked, how _exhausted_ he had seemed.

But then he would try to force himself to picture him as he had been before. He would try to recapture the sight of him in the snow at the park, when the flake had landed on his nose and he had been utterly stunned upon seeing its existence.

He made a mental note to explain it to him—what snow was, why February had only twenty-eight days. He would tell him anything in the world he wanted to know, if it would only make him stay. And then he would not have to feel incompetence for his lack of comprehension of the subject.

He was so desperate. He had been terrified, convincing himself for a moment that it might be enough to bring the deity back. If he made the promises louder in his head, maybe the god would return back. But the loneliness bit at the edges of his strained logic and he knew too well that Yami would not come back for something so small. But he did not think he would come back for physical union either. He closed his eyes.

But he could not stop himself hoping. And he could not think of anything else. He was beginning to feel small and weak, nearly sickened with his inability. There was nothing more he could do than worry and wonder fearfully.

Yugi opened his eyes long enough to duck out the door and into the quad. His friends were feet away, waiting in the usual spot. He took a seat against the brick, sliding down the wall with his heart in his throat. His eyes burned faintly.

Eventually that disgusting, immobilizing paralysis would creep upon him. At any moment he would be rendered all but useless. He was waiting for it, much like a dog would its master. The last time they had been apart, it had come on just as suddenly. Why shouldn't it now? It had only taken a week, hadn't it?

One week was not long.

Yami would stay away and Yugi would rot…

He doubted it would take that full seven days now, however.

"C-can I sit here?"

The voice startled him from his thoughts. At first he thought he was hearing things. Then he blinked stupidly, confused and wondering. Then he turned his head to face the source of his growing bewilderment.

He was so focused on Yami, on the million of things he needed to tell him, that he almost thought it was him in front of him. For the smallest fraction of a heartbeat his chest swelled with happiness. But then his mind registered, very slowly, that this newcomer had stutter. And Yami had too much physical prowess and regality to care for such weakness in his voice.

His tone could crack and fall away. His voice could shatter. His words could shake.

But he did not stutter.

His entire body rebelled against the very concept of the red-eyed boy doing such a thing. And he knew that the taller teen would never have asked him such a pitiful question. If he wanted to sit beside him, he was more likely to kick him in the hip to nudge him aside and plop down where he had been seconds before. Experience told that he would simply sit there.

From there he would either await his acknowledgment or speak into his ear to keep their conversation private. He did not often use the link that seemed to exist between their thoughts.

And so, Yugi felt the illusion shatter before him.

The red of his mirage's eyes faded into a bright and deep bright brown. The long, sharp bangs became wispy and flickered away as if stroked by fingers. They curled inwards, lighter and fluffier, and the goldenrod shade drained to a pale white. The golden-bronze of his exotic skin began to grow ashen and soft, creamy.

He blinked, frowning up at him in clear reluctance. The hope crashed within his insides and the truth of it stung. Yami would not return…

He nodded as he turned away again, sighing softly.

"Do whatever you want."

The other boy hesitated next to him. His mouth opened and closed, but Yugi did not pay him attention. The seconds passed and finally he lowered himself to take a seat beside him.

The weather was _just_ nice enough that they could all sit outside and eat instead of being inside of the classrooms. Yugi watched his friends from his vantage point. He was too low for them to immediately spot him. The gentle decline of the hill their usual spot rested on did well to conceal him from their eyes.

He had no desire to sit with them as of yet. He was still too upset to sit near Joey. And he was still so distracted by Yami's disappearance that he couldn't keep up conversation with them. But he knew they were looking for them. More than once they had sat up and looked around, confused and unsure of themselves. It was obvious that they expected him to come running at any moment.

But he was still so stung by the blond's earlier actions. He knew as well as the next person that he was blowing the situation out of proportion. But knowing did nothing to make him calm down. His anger was not eased in the slightest.

He knew the other boy was not making a mockery of him. Nor was he making fun of his _admittedly_ confused sexuality—what did it mean if guys didn't interest him and Yami was the only one? He did not know how he was supposed to phrase that. And anyone to see them together would assume him to be gay. No one would comment on the fact that he had dated Tea for that short period. That wouldn't count in the slightest. They would say it was a cover up.

But, for only a split second, he had felt the mockery and the sting of his words the day before. And it had burned so badly that he had reacted badly. It would not be eased anytime soon, he realized. And it did not help that their conversation the day before had seemingly gone in one ear and out the other.

How _dare_ he attempt to make him turn his attention to some random guy like that. How was he supposed to call himself his best friend when he pulled something like that? If he was going to show such disregard for his choices in life was it truly okay to remain calling him his friend? If something as stupid as his disregard for the boy Yugi had decided to date could create such an immense drift between them…?

He drew in a deep breath. It was pathetic to him to consider the amount of anger Joey let control his thoughts in regard to Yami. It was over and done with. He had told them all that he was going to date him. It would simply take them time to get over it. They would have to let it go.

But none of them truly seemed able to…

"Why aren't you sitting with your friends?"

It could have been a trick of his ears, but his voice…was it too soft, slightly wistful?

Yugi turned his head, about to say he didn't want to yet. But then he fell silent. The words rushed back down his throat. His lungs were too tight again. Something caught and held his tongue as they looked at each other.

His gut churned with a motion that nearly made him queasy. There was something there—in his _eyes_ —and it made his insides cold. It made his blood feel too thick to move in his veins. It made his skin crawl…

He frowned at him. Had his eyes…?

Had they always been…?

He frowned at Yugi with clear confusion in his eyes. And his head tilted to the side as he studied him more closely for a moment.

Yugi couldn't think straight around the alarm blaring in his ears. His mind was on alert. But he could not place it. There was no reason for it. And the last time it had come like this, Yami had been there. He had thrown him into a wall and pinned him there. He had…

Yugi almost flushed at the thought. He'd jerked him off in that alley…the same one he'd killed Ushio in. The thought made him queasy. He didn't know if he could ever truly use that as his route home again…

Yet he remained staring at the boy. Every sense he possessed was geared to find this trigger of his alarm. But there was no unusual smell, there was no visual cue, he didn't feel any different than he had before the new boy had joined him. And he didn't think his tongue or his ears could truly do much to help him. He drew in a deep breath, exhaled gently.

"I'll go over there later," he finally remarked. He could not place it. There was nothing he could readily detect. He blinked at him slowly. What more was there he could do? Yugi was not ready to ignore his instincts, however. They had never exactly done him wrong before…

He had not felt this brand of eeriness since the moment he had encountered Yami in the arcade. But this was much weaker than that, thought it possessed a similar thread of sensation which bore down on him painfully. He felt it, but it did not make sense. It was as if the strength of Yami's power were being projected beneath the weight of intense heat and frozen water.

Perhaps, however, it was because of his irritation. He considered himself for a moment. Was that possible? He supposed it was. He was still so upset with Joey as it was. His blatant disregard and suggestion to move on to the white-haired boy still angered him.

He almost snorted out loud. No, that was not it—not at all. He was upset, yet, but that had nothing to do with the alarm blaring in head. It did nothing to temper the hot marrow which surged through his bones like this.

"Bakura Ryou, right?"

"You can call me Ryou." He had an easy smile, but his eyes were still strange to peer at. And Yugi felt sick. What was wrong with them? He knew there was something—but to pinpoint it was impossible. "Bakura sounds too formal for me."

Yugi watching him for a long minute. He couldn't shake his unease and it bore on him painfully. His voice dripped with ice, though it seemed subdued somehow with his uncertainty. "What kind of accent is that?" he asked in a low voice, mind churning desperately. Something about the statement made his spine tighten uncomfortably. Something was definitely wrong. Perhaps he could keep him talking… "I don't recognize it."

"It's British. You know, that place across the pond?"

Something about the joke made Yugi bristle furiously. "I know where the fuck _Mediocre_ Britain is, all right?" he snapped in an icy tone, the distaste bleeding from each syllable. He could not pinpoint what made him act like this. It was jarring to hear his own voice, so hateful and angry.

Ryou gaped at him at first. He was visibly thrown by his ferocity, so much so that he could not think of a single word to say at first. Then, his feathers ruffled, he spat, "Then don't look so damn confused all the time. I was just answering your question."

"No, you were acting like I was stupid," Yugi snarled, cutting his next sentence into nothingness. He narrowed his eyes; did the other boy's eyes glitter? He couldn't tell what it was, but there was something clearly wrong with them. He knew it. He saw it. He just didn't— _couldn't_ —recognize it. "And I'm a hell of a lot smarter than you could _ever_ hope to be!"

This time, Ryou threw his hands up. "I wasn't insulting your intelligence!" he cried in annoyance, shaking his head angrily. "I was simply saying—"

"Whatever. It doesn't matter." Yugi turned away again, glancing towards his friends and breathing in roughly. Oh gods…where _was_ Yami? Why wasn't he anywhere nearby? Why had he even left? Wasn't it more dangerous for him to be _away from him_ than it was for him to be _near_? His heart was in his throat. Why would he endanger himself _further_ if that was the case? "I'm just really tired. I'm sorry."

If this kid was a threat…wouldn't he have come to help him by now? Wouldn't he have appeared to warn him off? He had come after Ushio the same night of the attack. He could recall from his memories. And he remembered the mammoth of a student missing those few days after…

What had Yami done to him then? Hadn't he inflicted a tumor in his brain?

Perhaps he was just overreacting. Yugi drew in a deep breath. Was it his separation from Yami that made him so high strung? Was that why he was so keen on finding something wrong with everything around him? What if it was actually on Yami's end and he was just reacting to _his_ unease?

Was that possible?

But…if it wasn't…

Ryou hardly looked like a threat. But there was surely something terribly _off_. He couldn't put it into words, and it pricked at his senses, but…

No, there was something wrong. There had to be. He knew that. There was something…

He had not always understood his instincts at their fullest, but he had never ignored them. To do so now would be stupid of him. Especially if Yami did not come back. He was on his own if he didn't return…

Ryou gave him a distinctly dissatisfied, dubious look. But he did not bother to comment on the evident insincerity in his tone. Instead he cleared his throat and began to speak again. "Motou Yugi—"

"Yugi." He corrected instinctively. "Everyone calls me Yugi."

He did not bother to look at him again, instead looking across the quad to his friends again. They were all searching for him now, visibly twisting around in their seats. They were talking quietly to each other, whispering about where he might have gone. Soon enough, he suspected that they would get up and come looking for him.

Yugi didn't plan to let that happen first. He would get up and go to them before they decided to start truly searching for him.

But this thought didn't distract him from what happened in his peripheral vision. Something had glinted, flickering brilliantly if only for a split second. He thought for a moment of the way Yami's gaze grew fierce or glacial, hard and unyielding, when he was truly upset. And for the briefest of seconds they would flash like the sun had hit them. They would glitter and glow, with a power so eternal Yugi was often scared stiff.

And, for the briefest of seconds, he thought to glance at Ryou and see if he had somehow mirrored the effect. But he could not draw the courage to do so.

He was afraid of it.

Because, if he had somehow managed to mimic that reaction, what did that truly _mean_?

Yugi suppressed a violent shiver.

"What is that god-awful thing around your neck?"

Yugi stiffened visibly, then turned to him. His eyes were hardened and his voice was as sharp as knives. " _Excuse me_?" he spat in a voice that would have made even Yami pause. But Ryou merely blinked at him, then reached towards his Puzzle. The smaller teen was faster, however. After having seen the effect touch had when it came to Yami, he had made sure not to expose him to it physically. He had often moved his hand to shield the deity if the pendant swung too close to him. His reflexes to protect Yami from it had often proven second to his, but the deity had never questioned him.

They proved faster than Ryou's however. His hand lashed out and smacked into his violently. A bristle caused his shoulders to rise in a defensive gesture. He was breathing hard now. "Don't you _dare_ put your grubby paws on _my Puzzle_!"

Yugi was shaking finely. The tremors made him fiercer and it occurred to him that he was acting like the lover of someone abused. He had thrown himself between a potential threat and the artifact hanging around his neck. The fact stunned him faintly. Had Yami been there, wounded and in his tired state, what might he have done then?

He was actually scared to consider it.

"I was just asking what it was. I couldn't see it properly be…" Ryou trailed off, his voice distantly pleased now that he had gotten the smaller teen to face him fully enough. Now he could see the item around his neck. Yugi had unconsciously moved to cup the golden artifact, his fingers almost shielding his view of the center piece, but he recognized it immediately now. "Oh, it's the Millennium Puzzle!"

Yugi blinked at him, unable to fully process the statement. Why was he so excited and why did he even know about it? He furrowed his brows, drawing in a breath. "What do you…? How do you know about it?" he managed to mumble, frowning and tilting his head to the side like a curious dog. He was given the smallest flash of an image—a shiba inu, with a sesame pelt, brown eyes wide, head cocked—and it unnerved him. He remembered all too clearly the argument he had had the day that he had originally seen that dog in his head. He'd snapped and snarled at Yami and the image had been a distant, dubious glance into his thoughts.

He did not lower his fingers from the cold surface; instead he cupped it a bit more firmly than he ever had before. A strange, benign warmth soothed at the frayed ends of his nerves.

"I didn't think anyone else knew that much about it."

"Well, I don't know _much_ about the Items, but I _do_ know that there are seven," Ryou said, beaming for a moment before his eyes grew somewhat smug. The pride of such knowledge seemed to be a true accomplishment for the taller teen, Yugi realized with a bewildered sensation in his gut. His frown deepened as he studied him. Did he know _nothing_ about how destructive and powerful they actually _were_?

His blue-violet eyes narrowed, first in distaste, and then in momentary confusion. What had led Ryou to know about them? There had to be some reason that he had any idea that they existed. The Items were so powerful and so few people actually knew of their existence…

Ryou blinked in surprise. There had only been a split second between the confusion and distinct caution which now colored those blue-violet eyes. He blinked, frowning in puzzlement now as he looked at the smaller teen. "But the last that I heard, five of them were destroyed in a quake when the tombs a team was excavating collapsed. Or at least that's what they speculate anyways. Of course, they could just be perfectly fine. They're probably just buried somewhere in all of the rubble. Anyways, to answer your question, my father is a treasure hunter. He collects rare artifacts and gives them over to museums. He gave me _this_ though."

When he pulled at his shirt, undoing the top buttons, Yugi almost thought he might take a pass at him. Who in their _right minds_ went around nearly _tearing their shirt off_? The whole idea made him queasy and he nearly spat at him in an effort to deter the other boy. He wasn't attracted to him in the least.

But the moment passed. And his thoughts spiraled now to the sight of the thick hemp rope around the other boy's neck. It fell into the center of his chest, though in their position it nearly seemed to swamp his entire abdomen. It was dark against his skin, with a flat center, a level version of his own Puzzle. But it was upright like the pyramids and did not hang down as his own did. It was encircled by a thick golden chain of similar color, tipped in seven different areas with small ringlets which held charms that reminded him of elongated pyramids.

Yugi frowned as he considered it. Something unnatural seemed to come from it. And it was not the comforting touch that the Puzzle always seemed to share. He felt nearly sick as he continued looking at it. There was something new about the atmosphere around them, he realized now, with an intense sense of dread creeping over him. His skin tingled and his stomach began to burn, as if his insides were caught on fire. And, when he raised his eyes, he swore Ryou seemed to realize it as well and even smirked minutely before it disappeared instantly again.

Yugi was frozen for a moment, unable to comprehend whether his mind was playing tricks on him or not. Was that possible? Was it the stress? He supposed it very well could have been. Slowly, not wanting to ruffle the other's feathers again, too alarmed by the thought of that smirk inching across his face as he was sure it had, he began to speak again.

"It's an Item…but what is it called?"

"It's the Millennium Ring," Ryou boasted. "Legend says that it could lead its wearer to the rest of the Items if they so desired it."

Yugi frowned further. His eyes flickered to the artifact hanging around the other boy's neck. He had never heard of it. He had heard of the Necklace, the Scales, the Rod, and even the Eye. But the Ring was a complete mystery to him.

And, of course, he knew enough about the Puzzle to know that he should never have laid a hand on it in the first place. But he did not know much else about anything. His grandpa had told him a lot of stories about Egypt while he was growing up. Most of them were those about Shadow Magic, Games, Punishments, and then the Items, but never _once_ could he recall a Ring being mentioned.

Perhaps he had told him and he had simply overlooked it. He had, after all, been rather absorbed in the Puzzle and solving it. Yugi had always been happy to see it, to hold it, loving it even as he struggled so hard for eight long years to find a way to make it conform to its completion.

If only he had known ahead of time that it had been taken so long because the Puzzle had been taking half of his soul from him. That half was then formed into a weak shell of flesh and blood for a god who wanted nothing more than to kill him.

"Oh."

He did not bother to say anything else. He could not think properly for the moment. What the hell was the Ring meant to do? But then, his silence seemed to have been favorable for him, because Ryou was beaming as he looked down at it.

"It's an awesome little gift. He just recently got back from Egypt. He gave it to me about two weeks ago," Ryou continued with that same bright smile. The smaller boy was almost tempted to grin in response—his enthusiasm was oddly contagious—but the nagging feeling had not left him. "And I haven't taken it off since."

Yugi felt a small sense of hollowness form inside of him. His heart skipped and stuttered in its rhythm. Would Yami be stronger if he had never taken the Puzzle off after he'd first put it together? Would he be okay, rather than wasting away as Yugi suspected he was? He suppressed a tremble, but the thoughts kept coming. Would he still have been at the house when he had come home? Would his recovery be that much faster? Would he have been _free_ by now?

He watched him for a long minute. Then, very slowly, caution guiding his thoughts, he asked the same question that had been formerly directed towards him months ago.

"Do you feel any different?"

Now Ryou paused, blinking at him. His fingers were working to button his shirt back up as he studied him. Yugi wondered briefly, somewhere in the deepest crevice of his mind, if it seemed like Ryou had been flashing him. "Not really," he said in a clearly confused tone, shaking his head. He frowned at him and searched his face. "I mean, aside from the excitement—because it's really pretty cool…but I'm pretty sure that's not what you meant."

"Definitely not." Yugi started to get to his feet. The air seemed to thicken, swelling and pressing upon him painfully. The smaller teen blinked. Ryou looked up at him, frowning in puzzlement. But Yugi refused to meet his eyes again. Something was wrong and the longer he spent near him the more he felt it.

His head was too light, more so than he had ever experienced before. It felt as if something were pushing at the edges of it, attempting to creep inwards. And it was not the familiar coating of ice that came when Yami brushed against him. This was much colder, but seemingly just as ancient.

He shoved the thought away. The Puzzle flared, an innate fire which pulsated through his nerves and pushed upwards into his bones. The smaller teen could have laughed for all the gratification that came with the new warmth. The foreign lightness upon his senses had worn away completely, as if the Item had pushed it away.

"I think I'm going to go sit with my friends now," he announced, struggling to keep the giddiness from his tone for a moment. The Puzzle remained warm and his head was still so clear. It felt amazing after what seemed like an eternity of it being otherwise. "They're freaking out that I'm not over there"

He did not look back as he left him there. But he was sure that the other boy was snickering softly.

* * *

Yugi gasped from the force of the collision. His eyes squeezed shut and his body shook from the hit. His spine burned and ached beneath his skin. His flesh was scraped raw by the brick through his clothing. He sputtered and gulped, struggling, as the pressure released from his chest somewhat. The action gave him just enough room to open his eyes into slits. He pressed his weight more fully into his legs. His struggle now was to keep upright rather than fall forward when he was released. But he was unable to and found himself on his hands and knees regardless.

He opened his eyes into slits, gulping for air. The asphalt was dark as if stained with blood. He nearly groaned. Was this the alleyway Ushio had been found? How had he wound up coming this way? Hadn't he told himself he would not come this way? He groaned softly, then tipped his head slightly.

In his vision was a pair of studded black and gray boots. The heels on them were slightly raised, giving his attacker an inch more of height. The style of them was obviously gothic. Yugi breathed out roughly, trembling. He drew in a breath, then exhaled again. It was becoming familiar to him again, though his lungs protested. And then, as he glanced at them again, horror swept through him. The smaller teen scrambled to press his back against the wall, gaping up at the newcomer in shock.

Peering down at him, eyes cold and malicious, the other teen did not look as if he had wanted to release him. His lips curled back, his canines glinting in the streetlight. His jaw was clenched tightly. His fingers flexed at his sides. Yugi swallowed a mouthful of air, gaping at him again. Then, very slowly, he reached behind him to grip the wall. He pushed up and onto his feet again, the movement excruciating. The newcomer merely stared at him, watching the painstaking ascension with cold indifference.

"You will stay away from that brat."

"I…w-what?" he grunted. He blinked at him. The movement made him dizzy. He grasped harder at the wall, but the flat surface did nothing for him. He hissed between his teeth. "Yami, what are you…?"

"You dare to feign such ignorance? The bastard you were walking with," Yami snarled slowly, baring his teeth. "Stay _away_ from him."

"Huh?" Yugi flinched when Yami moved an arm. The movement nearly sent him face-first into the concrete. But a hand caught his shoulder. And the other wrapped lightly around his ribcage, gently easing him into an upright position again.

He had been walking alone…

"You should sit down," the deity announced in something of a pleased tone. "Wait for the pain to fade some."

"But…" _I wasn't walking with anyone_. Had someone followed him? Yugi blinked stupidly and breathed out roughly again. _I was walking alone_. _I left before the others…_

Yami watched him with a highly satisfied yet distasteful expression, as if torn between attempting to help—in which he had no knowledge of how, Yugi realized—or laughing with glee. The evidence before him, that he could still stun an opponent with a swift and efficient hit, had to be one of the most enticing things he had come to realize in a while.

He grunted again. Yami frowned and tilted his head slightly. Then he blinked slowly and moved to help him slide down the wall, though his inexperience and confusion was clear. Yugi was shaking faintly from the pain in his system, feeling almost as if he were caught on fire both inside and out, and the taller boy hesitated, nearly releasing him.

 _Just keep a grip on me,_ the smaller teen pleaded mentally. He shook again and groaned softly with pain. Yami frozen for a moment, blinking at him with something almost like wondrous bewilderment, and then slowly nodded. _I'll do the rest, but just help me keep my balance_.

It seemed to take what felt like hours. Yugi thought he might puke as he continued to take a seat. He scooted along the brick wall, swallowing roughly, breathing labored. Then he tipped his head back, ignoring the urge to stare at the deity. The frustrated confusion which warmed his body was hard to suppress. Rather, the small teen allowed himself to drift down onto the concrete with Yami kneeling in front of him.

For the smallest of seconds, the deity remained there. He seemed to hesitate, as if unsure of himself. But the moment in which Yugi went to speak, breathing out in relief, he recoiled and pulled away. He stood straight and powerful in front of him again. But he did not loom, and his presence was more self-conscious than aggressive now.

But after the punch to his ribs, Yugi was so stunned by the distance in height between them now that he nearly choked. His first thought was that of Ushio, of the way the behemoth student had stood cackling before lashing out violently. He remembered the pain to his ribs when he broke them and the way he choked on blood for weeks afterwards.

Yami tipped his head to the side curiously. But he did nothing more than regard him for a few moments longer.

"W…what's wrong with Ryou?" he finally stammered. It made sense that Yami would react to him this way. He was the only new element. His friends were not an issue the deity had ever showed such hatred and distaste towards. It was clear that it had to be someone else. And the only new element had to be that of Ryou. Which meant he had followed him from the school.

And Yami had assumed him to be walking with him…

Yet he cowered slightly at the thought of looking at the red-eyed teen in front of him. He seemed so immense, raised to heights he could never reach, and he loomed over him as a skyscraper might. The sight of him like this made him tremble. His skin tingled and something in his body began to peak with a sense of perverse wonder. How easy would it be for him to pin him there and—?

His cheeks flushed as he pushed the thought away. "Why don't you want me to walk home with him?" he managed to breathe out regardless. How close had Ryou been when Yami had spotted them? Had Yami influenced his sense of direction to draw him this way? He had been so sure of himself that he was not going to be going near or through the alley in any way…

Yami watched him for a moment longer. Then his head snapped around. His eyes were sharp and glistened like drops of fresh blood. He tipped his head, listening furiously for whatever it was that had caught his attention. The focus in his expression faded immediately, however, and he turned back, his voice low and cold. "I am telling you to stay away from him."

"Why?"

 _And how did I not notice he was there_?

 _How did I not know_ Yami _was here lurking in the dark and waiting for me_?

"Do as I _say_ , Yugi."

"But _why_?"

Yami looked down at him again. And he realized, staring into his confused and desperate gaze, that it was not Ryou he spoke about. He stiffened, wondering at the way he peered into him. His eyes had seemingly lost their dazed expression and now they appeared to search through him. The deity shied away from such examination, but now he could think of no way to do so without seeming cowardly. A heartbeat passed. What was he meant to say? And what questions was he truly prepared to answer?

But what was the main one Yugi wished to have answered? Yami did not know. He just knew that he was asking him a question that held too many meanings. The deity opened his mouth, preparing for the simplest, the most ignorant he could think of—"Because I _said so_ "—but grew stiff.

His jaw snapped shut again. He glanced around rapidly. He blinked and turned back. His stomach sank for a brief moment. And the realization came to him that he could do nothing more. So he looked at his human charge, snarled softly, and disappeared.

Yugi had seen the turmoil in his face. But all he could hear was the sound of lightning in his ears. The pop of his drums was painful and he flinched violently. He reached his hands up to scratch at them, panting pathetically. Every part of his body burned and crackled as if his bones were morphing under his skin. He choked on a breath, gulping it down. And then he froze as something seemed to settled upon his skin.

The atmosphere was drenched in cold. But it was not the wintry touch that came with Yami. It was burdensome, heavy, and it wore upon his clothes like layers of dirt. Yugi stiffened, recognizing it immediately.

It was the same that had come upon his eyes settling on the Ring at school. He strained his ears, though they were still ringing. His body itched and his bones continued to painfully crackle under his skin. He turned his head.

The sound of something like sneakers against asphalt was incredibly loud. It came in uneven hints of noise. The weight was light enough, but the steps were somehow heavy. Yugi was frozen in place, eyes wide and shining in the dark. Where Yami had stood, there had been light from the streetlamp. Where Yugi was crouched, he was enshrouded by shadows. He thanked the gods for this tiny mercy.

His body was tightened, impulsive with the need to flee for safety. Someone had been following him, just as Yami had hinted. But his mind raced with possibilities. Was it truly Ryou? Or was it someone else? Was it possible that he was wrong and it was someone else entirely?

Yugi blinked and stared out towards the street. They would chase if he fled. He could feel it deep in his bones. It was more substantial in his mind than his marrow was in his bones. The pain pinned him there, however, and for once he wished he could thank Yami for the attack.

But Yugi did nothing more than raise a hand up to cover his mouth. His heavy breathing was stifled only slightly by his palm against his lips. And, in the darkness of the alleyway, he could spy without the risk of being caught. He drew his limbs up and tightened his body further. His back pressed harshly against the wall, allowing him to appear smaller than ever. But it was inconsequential, he realized, as the noise stopped altogether.

And then his stomach dropped. His eyes grew wide. His mouth opened behind his fingers.

What caught his attention first was that the other appeared somehow taller. His back was straighter. His shoulders were slightly broader, held a little higher. But he knew his height had not truly changed. It was the most similar difference between himself and Yami, a fact that pleased him secretly and seemed unable to make the deity blink. They stood at the same height. But the deity could appear taller because of the effortless way he held himself.

The regality he possessed was on display at all times. His eyes made him look more cunning and it added to a mischievous design to allow him to seemingly tower over others. He never appeared as relaxed and small and friendly as Yugi himself did. His shoulders never slumped. His appearance possessed such intimidation that it made many flinch upon noticing him. Part of it was his natural aura, but the rest was simply the brilliance in his eyes and the raw power that showed in his feral smirks.

But this was not the only difference he spotted in this figure at the entrance of the alley.

Those eyes were cold and glinting and, where they were hit by the light, they did not reflect it. Instead, his irises were glowing much like Yami's always did. And he was peering about the narrow pathway, searching for him, Yugi knew. The small teen shivered and bunched himself further into a compact shape.

The rings of bright purple were pulsating. They held the same flatness of what some people called "eyeshine". It was what dogs and cats showed in their retinas when a camera's flash went off…

But it occurred to him as well, staring back at the person, that something was blocking their sight. Yugi trembled and his heart burst in his chest, pounding. The boy was staring straight at him. Yet he could not _see_ him!

He almost panted with relief, but held himself still. He kept his breathing low and muffled by his hand. But the figure kept staring, as if trying to peer through a thick fog or the blackest of shadows. His eyes snapped back and forth about the darkness, sharp and threatening.

But he still did not see him.

Yugi almost thought he could have reached out and touched him and he would still not know him to be there. He almost laughed, his heart pounding faster with shock and delight. Yami had not abandoned him there to suffer.

This _had_ to be his doing. There was no other explanation.

"Yugi?"

The voice was low and timid, familiar in its pitch. But the small boy did not react, instead staring back at him and feeling sick to his stomach. He wanted first to run, but held still. Then he wished to respond, but instinct bid he remain silent. So he swallowed away the impulse, closed his eyes tightly, and counted off the seconds in his head.

It seemed to stretch for hours as Yugi finally listed off a full sixty seconds. He opened his eyes, glancing at the entrance once more. The silence was thick and heavy between them. The other boy still did not see him. And his patience had finally snapped. His unnatural eyes were blazing, intense with hatred and ferocity, and a snarl of a noise bubbled upwards, bursting outwards.

It was guttural, unnatural, spitting, " _Damn it_."

Yugi still did not move. Aside from his breathing, he was perfectly still. The other boy, however, began to pace in long back and forth strides. He moved from one side of the entrance to the next in mere seconds. He spat and snarled softly, until the noise became a consistent thread of a hoarse growl.

Yugi still waited. The seconds ticked off in his head again. _A hundred…_ And, as they were counted, he wondered why he did not enter the passageway. Was he afraid for some reason? Was there something to _fear_ inside of the alley? Surely he was not afraid of him, however…

It was so strange, that Yami considered him a threat so powerful that he was forced to take preemptive strikes. And yet, this boy was pacing and snarling and occasionally cooed his name in Ryou's voice but did not come closer. He did not step inside of the shadows. He did not try to follow him.

What if something inside of the alley had changed? Was it possible Yami's magic had made it a death trap for this newcomer? It might not have been a physical or visual different to behold, but the pulsing he had experienced from Yami's magic just the day before was not several times stronger. It was harsh enough that it could have knocked the wind from him if it was aimed for him.

Yet, it pulsated in gentle waves against his skin, pushing outwards in ripples of power.

And he wondered, staring at this other boy, if perhaps that was how the deity had found him, how he had disappeared so suddenly as he had.

But why should Yami have run?

Yugi shivered and watched the figure. _Two hundred forty…_ Another long minute passed. He counted the seconds again. The pacing had grown furious. The boy was basically sprinting now, spitting and snarling. He seemed almost to foam at the mouth. The snarling had become a roar.

Then, as if he had been beckoned away by some silent being, he abruptly turned and took off down the street.

 _Three hundred sixty…_

He exhaled a breath, a lengthy sigh. The mad dash away from the alley made him almost wonder how it was that he had been searching when he looked almost panicked. Yugi drew in a deep breath, waiting another long minute. Then another passed, followed by three more, and when the tenth finally swept by, he bent to loosen his legs. He strained his ears and his knees popped painfully.

Then he struggled to see further than the few feet of the street in front of him. His ears caught nothing and his eyes could not penetrate the shadows along the sidewalks. He drew in a deep breath, swallowing hard, and stumbled to his feet. He could remain there no longer…

His spine ached and popped in protest. His knees throbbed, feeling weak and wobbly. But they all held him as he began to take small steps forward.

He glanced around him cautiously once. Then he swallowed hard. His mouth was dry and his throat was sore. But he still managed to speak as he looked about himself in the darkness.

"Yami?"

It was no more than a pathetic whisper. For a moment he thought to speak louder. Then the impulse faded. The weight of it collapsed into nothingness. He paused and used the wall to brace himself. If he spoke louder, then whoever it was—because that thing was _not_ Ryou; he knew that—might turn back. Who knew if they had not already circled back and was just _waiting_?

He drew in a deep breath and strained his ears again. But his senses were not like Yami's. He could barely hear past his own horrified breathing and the pounding of his heart. And the popping of his ears may have faded, but the pain made them throb. Yugi sighed and glanced around again.

He remained unanswered.

The force of the blow made him almost lash out in his annoyance.

Then he froze in place. There were footsteps.

They were headed towards him.

His head snapped around in horror.

There was more than one person—and they were rapidly closing distance.

Oh gods, had someone else followed him there?

Had the other boy run off for reinforcements? Were they in league to catch him?

"Yami, _please_ —"

"Yugi?" a familiar voice called. He froze, eyes growing wide in shock. Then he blinked and turned around as the shock crept through him. Was it a trick? But it didn't seem like that was possible and he was so desperate to have it be real… "You around here, buddy?"

Yugi hesitated for only a moment. " _Yami_?" he pleaded softly. The Puzzle tingled against his abdomen, heated with a soft warmth as if in answer. He reached up to lightly run a finger over it. Then he shivered. So Yami would not help him. But Joey would.

"Yeah, Joey, I'm over here…"

He was amazed that he was even capable of speaking so loudly. But it sounded so small and pathetic in his ears. And it took him a minute to finally relax enough to appear casual as he noticed two shapes coming quickly towards him. His heart skipped and shook. The shadow of a skirt alerted him to the knowledge that it was Tea with Joey. The two of them were rapidly closing in on him.

He struggled to still his breathing again. He held the Puzzle between his fingers. The soft heat seemed to spread through his fingers and up into his bones, trailing along his marrow and veins. They both slowed as they noticed him fully, pausing in the entrance of the alleyway and considering him.

Then Joey noticed him and came bounding forward. And Tea grumbled but quickly tried to get to his side as well. Yugi was almost so relieved as to fall over. His heart was truly pounding and his breathing was frosty. He gazed at them, unbearably weak, his chest aching with hurt and horror and desperation and need. And oh _gods_ , did he need them…

Joey was the first to his side. He blinked, straining his eyes. But, even in the dark, the taller boy could see that his friend's face was incredibly pale. He looked ghostly, ashen in shade. His eyes were dilated hideously, the whites of them hardly visible. His shoulders were drooping visibly. It was hard—and impossible—to take in all of his features due to their school uniform. It shielded most of his body and held it in a shade of black he could not decipher. But he could see a small tremor racking his frame with each breath. And, as he listened, he noticed a soft but distinct wheeze which came with each inhale.

"Fuck, are you okay?"

Yugi blinked at him, confused. Did he not look okay? He nearly cursed under his breath. When he opened his mouth to say he was fine, he found himself frozen. He had made the mistake of looking at Tea. And her expression was a mask of horror. Her hand covered her mouth and her eyes were wide and shiny as if she might burst into tears. The other hand grasped at her shirt in a nervous fidget.

He frowned, glancing between them. But his confusion was becoming rapidly lopsided. Yami had slammed him into the wall. And his ribcage was still throbbing with the pain of it. He probably looked as he had felt upon being hit—as if a semi-truck had run him over, dragged him several feet, and tossed him into a neighboring building. The strength the deity had put behind the hit had been so immense he could not think of a single thing more hideous to feel.

He had _never_ been hit so hard.

It made Ushio's punches and kicks feel like the lightest brushes of a feather.

He must have looked incredibly weak to them. And he probably seemed stupid for going into the alley as it was. Even with the dim lighting, he was sure that he looked like a pale impersonation of himself.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked instead, shaking his head slowly to emphasize his confusion. Maybe he could get them talking about that instead and they might cease to notice… His head pounded with the movement. He reached up to rub at his head in order to keep from wincing.

Joey hesitated for a moment. Then he reached back to rub his own head. His expression had grown sheepish where the streetlight touched it. Yugi blinked at him, startled. "I…kind of got this really weird feeling that you might need us. I couldn't shake it off and eventually I swear I saw the alley in my head and decided to come and see for myself…" he explained uncomfortably. Yugi swore he thought he was blushing. And he might have teased him for it if he were not so exhausted. "And, it turns out that it was a really good idea to come over this way. You look like you're about to keel over."

"I feel like it too," he grumbled, rolling his eyes and glancing over his shoulder. But his words had struck a nerve. He had seemed inclined to come to the alley. It had appeared in his head. If that was what had happened, was it the Puzzle or _Yami_ himself that had sent them to him? He did not know if the deity could influence another's thoughts beyond his own. And the Puzzle was an anomaly with no rules and magic he could never hope to decipher…

"What happened?" Tea asked quietly, startling him for a moment. He turned back, ashamed and horrified. He had almost forgotten she was even there. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Yugi almost laughed out loud. He choked on the noise and it came in a strangled huff of breath. It sounded almost shocked, as if her words had startled him. Both she and Joey swapped looks at the hideous echo of it in the stiff air.

What would they say if he were to tell them that it wasn't a ghost but a _god_ that had he had just seen?

And that _something wearing Ryou's face_ had managed to freak that mentioned god out enough to force him to flee?

He almost giggled.

Oh gods, a ghost was _nothing_ in comparison.

"I…I started feeling dizzy all of the sudden," he lied. He bit the inside of his keep to keep the shame at bay. He could not stand to lie to them but he could not explain himself. And Yami was at risk if he should try. His teeth cut through more forcefully. The pain almost made him yelp. But it also cleared his head if only slightly. "I'm just _exhausted_. I think I need to sit down…"

"We'll get you home and then you can sit down," Joey promised in a mutter. He shook his head slightly and moved to grab him around the shoulder, supporting his slight weight on one side. Tea quickly came to his other side as if he might weigh too much for the blond, and both of them were hunched somewhat as they began to walk towards the game shop.

Had he not been so grateful for their appearance, he might have shooed them off. They had to go home as well. And, after hours of being at the arcade together, he had not wanted much company beyond Yami…

The thought made him glance back. But there was no sign of the deity and again he was forced to wonder if it was the Puzzle or Yami who had brought the two of them to him. And then, his mind circulated backwards. What was it that could have _scared_ Yami into _running_?

It took him thirty minutes of sitting on the couch talking to them about nothing in particular to allow him to relax fully. He had shooed away their concern and claimed that he was simply dizzy, had taken the shortest route home. But then he'd ended up feeling worse and he'd slowed down before he knew it. And somehow they had come when he probably needed them most.

They both still shot him skeptical looks even around the movie on the television screen. But his state of being made them immediately more concerned. And Tea was especially bad at hiding her horrified, shocked look. He did not bother to comment, however, and let the two of them pick at the channels to watch.

Yugi was stretched out on the couch, lying across it with his legs up. Joey and Tea were arguing over which of the cast played the best character. The smaller teen was ignoring them for the most part. He did not bother to do more than shake his head and grin at them when they tried to draw him in on the conversation.

It was not a question of which character was best with plagued his mind. Rather, he was ensnared with the one thing that horrified him beyond comprehension. Even with their presence, he was rendered unable to think straight nor to pretend against it as it howled in his mind.

Yami had fled. He had quite _literally_ fled. He had run as if there was no other choice for him. And the sad thing was, as Yugi analyzed it further, it was not a strategic move. He had simply cowered and run. He had surrendered Yugi to whatever outside force there was that had posed such a threat to him. If the other boy had decided to come into the alley, Yugi would have been _defenseless_.

He had _ditched him to be killed_.

He could not fathom it fully. His existence ensured Yami's.

How was it that a single thing could make him forget that? It could have _very easily_ have cost him his _life_ to leave him behind as he had. It made _no sense_. Yami was not a coward. And his survival would push him to do anything he had to.

He knew that the deity would rather fight than make a retreat. No matter what odds were stacked against him, he was more likely to lash out than turn away. He knew, without thinking about it, that Yami had gone after Ushio that night even _with_ his breathing problems. He had trailed him until he reached a certain location. And then he had challenged him. And he'd kicked his ass and given him a brain tumor and ruined his life. He'd marked him as a snack for a later day.

Yugi shivered.

Tea looked over but he ignored her.

 _Would_ he have come back if that second entity had followed him?

Was that even a _possibility_? With how quickly Yami had run, was it accurate to even consider such a thing? Would he have turned around rescued him had things gone differently? Or was that simply wistful thinking?

Was it as simple as his abandonment meaning that he would need to fend for himself? Or was there somehow something more to it?

Was there some part of it that Yugi was not aware of?

Yugi could not tell. Yami would never tell him either. He was sick when he got to his feet. His body was shaking and his heart was in his throat. His skin was clammy, he realized in horror. And when they both looked up at him, Yugi could not think to speak. He simply made a quick, mad dash for the bathroom.

They were calling after him. He could hear their voices around the toilet seat hitting the tank. But his retching drowned them out.

What _possible_ force in _any_ world could have made _Yami_ falter like that?

Was it more powerful?

Was it some kind of threat that Yami could not face?

Was _that_ what was killing him?  
Was there a way to stop it?

Was there any chance that Yami could _ever_ face it?

Yugi shuddered and puked again. He groaned softly even as his friends shouted again from behind the door, demanding to know if he was okay. Yugi very nearly snarled at them that of course he was not fucking okay. How the _fuck could he be_? But the words died on his tongue. They had no idea what was going on.

He had isolated himself from them the moment he had begun to let Yami into his life. And, maybe in time that rift could be healed, but for now it would remain raw and jagged. For now he simply reached to flush the toilet, lay his arm on the edge of the seat, and pressed his face into the crook of his elbow.


	4. Chapter IV

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Yu-Gi-Oh!**

 **Warning: So, the same as last time. The cursing should be relatively mild but grows a little more at times, Season 0 Yami whose a bit more unhinged in this story than he was in _Behind You_ , so keep that in mind.**

 **Note: There are various/copious mentions of blood, some graphic images of death, sensual moments and feelings, touches of violence/abuse, slight OOCness but it's due to stress (and it's mostly going to be from Yugi whose going to suffer pretty badly where Yami is involved and choices he makes in order to help Yami), slight touches of depression, possible triggers**

 **Update Schedule: I'm going to try (again) for bi-weekly updates**

 **Possible SLIGHT OOCness where Yugi is concerned (I don't see it that way since he's stressed and he and Yami are both basically operating under extreme conditions at the moment, but I'm going to throw this in there just in case). I've always pictured him as doing a lot of things borne from his loyalty to Yami when it came to choosing him over someone else (yes, including family and friends) if he was forced to. Granted for now his loyalty comes from guilt, but I digress. Regardless, some might see it as OOC, some might not.**

Chapter IV

Yugi had made it only halfway to his home when something hit him. His bones jerked and rebelled at the sensation. His skin had begun to tingle hideously. It was harsh enough to make him stumble. His head swam with shock. But he did not truly pause in his gait. He glanced at the car nearest him, cheeks heating. The car had parked, the driver leaning out the window to give him a concerned look. He offered her a smile that was far too weak. He wondered if he looked as stupid as he felt for his own reactions.

He flinched immediately after. A blow struck his chin. He reached up to rub at it slightly. His spine pulsed and throbbed. The skin itched and burned. The pain skyrocketed at the base of his back. The center of his bones seemed to spiral with fire.

He blinked, stupefied, and then clarity slapped him in the face.

It was Yami. It _had_ to be Yami. He was not sure what was happening, and such realization of how lost he was in all truth hurt him. Yami was getting hurt and Yugi was nowhere nearby to help him. But then—couldn't it be an older injury? It could just be flaring up again, right?

The blow to his head sent him staggering. He almost hit the pavement from the force of it. But then he shoved it aside. No, Yami was getting hurt now. He had to help him. He regained his balance, sprinting down the sidewalk.

He had no idea where the deity was, but the Puzzle was hot. It burned through his clothing and into his skin. The image in his head was that of the house. It beckoned to him, strong enough to make his legs weak.

Another strike made him stagger sideways. But he hurried onwards. The next made him yelp. The pain of a second infliction to the same spot sent him to the ground. He groaned, picking himself up. Then he rushed for the door.

He was so close.

He was grasping the doorknob with a death grip. He nearly fell over a second time. He took a moment, recovering just enough to throw the door open. Then he recoiled when he was struck hard across the face with pain. He rubbed at his cheek, surprised by the phantom infliction as his ears rang. Then he tossed the door shut behind him with a backwards kick. As he rubbed his cheek and worked his fingers enough to turn the lock on the door, he finally caught it.

There was a loud and incredibly shrill screeching noise coming from up the stairs. He flinched, startled, and grunted. Another blow seemed to shatter his left shoulder. He blinked, hissing against the pain. A harsh, violent thudding noise boomed further inside. Then a snapping noise burst forth. It sounded like bones breaking. Someone screamed. He took off up the stairs two at a time.

The hit made him stagger into the wall.

He fell backwards.

Then he almost rolled with the pain.

He shook it off.

He got to his feet.

Then he hurried faster.

He swore he was bleeding. His skin was hot and sticky. Was he sweating? His body didn't seem to be colored red. There was not a speck anywhere. He entered the kitchen again rapidly. But there was another, more familiar noise to welcome his ears.

It was low, distinct. It was so vicious he thought of a caged animal. He blinked stupidly. His heart was racing. He ran forward again. Then he froze in place.

His mouth opened in a gape. His eyes grew thrice their size. He gasped, panting, and wondered. He blinked stupidly again. Then he hissed as his spine curled with pain.

A chair in the kitchen was knocked over. The table had been flipped. Broken glass lined some of the floor. A red stain almost like blood colored the tiles. He stared at it blankly. The consistency told him it was juice. But his brain was frantic with the idea of blood.

His mother was _screaming_. She was waving a ladle in her left hand.

And, shaking his head and _snarling_ , was Yami. He was pressed into the corner of the small room.

Yugi couldn't think straight. He was okay. He was standing there in front of him…

He was clearly bruised in several places. His cheek was swollen. His eyes were dark with hatred. He looked better for wear, however. The inflictions upon his skin had not slowed him in the slightest. His voice was a low, bloodied and fierce snarl. It rumbled low in his throat. His fingers were twitching, hooked with his nails bared.

His mind scrambled. The Puzzle grew cold. A warning came to the forefront of his mind. If Yami raised his hand, he'd slash her throat open. And his mom was aiming the ladle for his face again—

"Mom, Mom, _stop_!" he cried out desperately, urgently. She jumped, then spun around. The ladle crashed to the floor. The sound made him flinch. She gaped at him, horrified. How long had he been standing there?

But Yugi was looking at Yami. The deity had straightened abruptly from his crouched position. His eyes on the other boy caused his mom to look at him again. Yami was staring at Yugi blankly. His expression was no longer as hateful. He had flexed his fingers. His hands had grown relaxed. He looked extremely annoyed, but no longer murderous.

And, even as the seconds passed, he realized he seemed far more contemplative now than ever before.

" _Fuck_."

"What the hell is going on in h—? Oh."

Yugi and his mother both glanced over at Sugoroku as he entered the room. His plum purple eyes widened in shock. All three Motou's blinked simultaneously. Then they all turned back to Yami. The deity was watching them from the corner of his eye. It was clear by the burn that lit their skin as one that he was paying them keen attention. But he was feigning ignorance of them, as if he were focused on his hand.

The skin along Yugi's own hand had begun to tingle. It stung and ached now that he had bothered to notice it. But the sight of the massive red mark across the small appendage broke his heart.

"Oh gods," he muttered, croaking. He reached up to run a hand through his hair. Pain swelled along his head from the touch. He wondered how the skin had not split beneath his fingers. But it did nothing to impair the realization that came over him. His heart broke a little further, his stomach knotting fiercely.

Yami had not lashed out at her as he would have formerly. Her only saving grace had been her connection to him. Had Yugi not been her son, he would have cut her throat open. Or ripped her intestines out of her stomach.

He had backed up into the corner of the room instead. He had cornered himself completely. He had fended her off only when he had tossed the table. And, by the gods, his hand _had to hurt_ if Yugi felt such great pricks of pain. It was not a singular pain, meant only for him. And when he looked at it, it appeared so deeply reddened that he wondered how it was not bleeding.

"Oh _Yami_ …"

He did not raise his eyes from his hand. But Yugi knew that his pathetic tone had caught his attention. But he was not willing to allow them more room to creep in on him. His head was tilted enough to be able to see each of them very clearly, to mark all of their movements. Should he have moved, he would have lost sight of his grandfather first, then his mother.

Yami's senses were absolutely trained on them. There was no step they could take to sneak out of his line of sight or his range of hearing. But Yugi realized he had his full attention regardless. It was something almost omniscient, encompassing the room and the house and the other two humans but somehow _mostly him_. His face was cold, indifferent. His eyes were on his hand, the red skin.

But he was watching him. And he was certain he felt his emotions. And he knew he could smell him. He probably _tasted_ him, knew what his aura meant for him. If he tried to, Yugi was sure he could even hear his heart in his chest.

All of these things, focused on him, but dispersed somehow among the three of them, spoke volumes of caution.

" _Excuse me_? Who the hell is _he_?" his mom cried. She had spun around to face him. Her cheeks were bright, a mimicry of his hand. Yugi blinked in shock, stupefied, and then stepped back once. "You knew that there was someone else in our _home_ and you never _thought to tell us_?"

"I didn't think…"

Didn't think what? That Yami would ever grow bored and drift out of his room? That Yami might ever wander about and inspect the house? Yugi felt stupid. He had done it several times before then. He was _so, so_ curious by nature. He was thoughtful, introspective, and wondered often at his surroundings and relationships with people around himself. He did not always allow Yugi to see it, but the glimpses he spared him had always made him want to reach out for him.

Had he thought that he would not get caught?

Yami had been rather lazy about confining himself. He had nearly been caught more than once. He enjoyed the challenge of sneaking past them all. When he was under their noses, he seemed to grow elated. But he would dodge away and hide at the last second. They were inches from him, so close he could reach out and grab them. And not once had they noticed him.

Had he not expected him to come back?

Yugi felt his heart hammer rapidly.

He had to eventually, didn't he?

He looked to Yami again for a moment. Then, as slowly as he could force himself to go, he started towards him. He frowned at the broken leg of a chair. The deity had to have snapped it. Had it been an intimidation tactic? He supposed so. He had not truly seemed to wish her harm until she had cornered him so effectively.

He blinked and then flinched violently. Yami would have killed her in self-defense. He would have completely mauled her. He would have let her bleed out. And then what? Would he have left the body for him to find?

Yugi could not think about it any further. Yami's head had snapped up. His eyes were on him. His gaze was fixated, hateful. It was enough to make him stop steps away from him. His breath was tight in his lungs.

"Here…l-let me help you with your hand—"

"You aren't helping him with anything. The only thing you need to do is hold him while the police arrest him!" his mother spat angrily, shaking her head firmly. "I'm calling them right this—"

"No, you are not."

He didn't face her at first. His voice was shaky and he was so tired. Yami raised his head the slightest bit. His eyes were glittering. His fingers were twitching. But his nails were not bared. He was taut with tension, but he felt it was Yugi's before it was his own.

"Excuse me?"

"I said you're not calling the police."

"I'm not?" she repeated in a mocking tone. "You think you're going to tell _me_ what to do—?"

Yugi turned around now. His eyes were blazing, his breathing ragged and short. He glared at her, voice low as he snapped, "You aren't calling the police and you're not doing anything else to him, okay?"

"I'm your mother. And you obviously do not know what you should have done the moment you found him in our home! You obviously don't know—"

"I know more about the situation than you do!" He was shouting. Yami stood, frozen, eyes wide, scanning the two of them. If she reached for the ladle, he supposed he was meant to intervene. But wasn't the place of a mother to teach and punish her child? He blinked. "You have no idea what's going on at all! You have none! And just— _fuck_ , Mom, give me a few minutes! I'll explain to you after, okay?"

The way she stared at him, horrified and shocked by his words, made Yugi want to tremble. His heart was pounding heavily. His stomach felt weighted. He couldn't think straight.

"And what shall you explain to her?" Yami hissed into his ear. His teeth were bared there. The white enamel of them made his heart quicken further. He looked at him, stunned. When had the deity moved to his side? But, more surprising than anything else, was his expression. His red eyes had lost their hateful gleam. They had fallen upon his face, searching his. And they were thoughtful around their agitation. "That you have released a god amongst your species? That said god has taken a form so similar to your own because you are a foolish child who dirtied his hands with dark magic he had no right to? That you recently broke your pledge to her and began fucking someone for other reason than to share your energy with them? That I have been living here for _weeks_ , right beneath her nose?"

Yugi opened and closed his mouth once. The look in those red eyes was curious, burning with amusement. He couldn't look at him any longer, lowering his gaze. He had not considered what it was that he was meant to say to her.

She was a realist, someone who would require proof before she would ever believe anything of that magnitude. His heart raced and his head spun. Even if Yami were to disappear and reappear before her eyes, she would find an explanation. She'd refuse belief in his divinity.

And then, when the time came, she would emit Yugi to a psych ward. She would watch as they gave him shock therapy and brutalized every sense of self he had ever possessed. And, in her mind, it would be the right thing to do…

Because her son was delusional and had no idea what reality was any longer…

His heart shattered a little more. But it was only because he had stupidly raised his eyes again. And the way they locked with Yami's made him feel weaker than ever.

"I'll just have to think of something while I help you out."

Yami opened his mouth with every intention to snap at him that he did not need his help. In fact, his first response was to tell him where he could _put_ his "help". Angry, hateful, the deity scowled at him at first. Then he saw the weight of the pain his own dismay had inflicted in the smaller teen and his desire to crush him further dissipated.

The clear plea in his voice, in his gaze, dismissed his anger. He fell silent and studied him for another long moment. He hesitated, staring at him with his mouth open in a sneer. Then, with a great amount of effort, Yami closed his jaws again. The weight of facing him any longer made his skin prickle and unease settle into his limbs. So he turned away, his eyes on the leg of the chair he had broken. The splinters of wood were long and sharp, hideous and jagged to his eyes.

He counted them mentally.

And he wondered why most things couldn't be as easy as this.

"Oh my god, you _knew_ about this, _didn't you_?"

Yugi jerked. Both his and Yami's heads snapped up in unison. They blinked together, then took in the situation in eerie synchronization. Sugoroku took notice of this even as he backed away. He was laughing, holding his hands up, and Yami found that particularly strange. Who snickered or thought such a situation funny? He was foolish if he did not assume she might lash out at him any moment as well.

Yugi lowered his head slightly, angling his mouth towards Yami's ear in turn. The deity noticed but he did not take his eyes from the display in front of him. Sugoroku was attempting to speak to her now, eyes pleading. Yugi licked his lips, nearly brushing his tongue against the shell of his ear with the proximity, and whispered, "You follow me until we get to the doorway. Then you step up beside me and take the lead. That way, if she gets any ideas with the ladle again, I'll cover you."

The deity gave him a stunned look. His eyes grew narrow and sharp, full of distrust. His gaze was on the other boy's immediately, skeptical and the smallest hint lost as to what more to do. Their close proximity put their mouths mere inches apart. His first instinct, admittedly, to his own shock, was to lean forward. He almost imagined that it would be to lash out, to attack and draw blood. But his first thought was truly to lean forward and press their mouths together and force Yugi against the wall and maybe try to seduce him there and—

He blinked. That was such a stupid idea.

His body ached everywhere. His muscles were sore everywhere. He was exhausted and wanted to rest. He lowered his eyes, nodding. It could not get much worse. If he had not miscalculated formerly, he would not have fucked up so clearly before. He would never have allowed her the chance to harm him in the first place.

Yugi took the lead as he had promised. His movements were slow and deliberate. Yami followed him, as if they were sneaking away like two burglars in the dead of night. The deity was only ever a half-step behind him, to his left side, as if the slight placement to his flank might grant him more room to flee.

But, oh, this stupid human bitch of a woman was _fast_.

He had learned that firsthand. She had so abruptly screamed, then struck him before he even knew what was happening. But then, he was also weakened and exhausted. And, oh, had he been at his fullest power, he would have been able to slap the ladle from her hand. She would never have even managed to finish that hideous noise in her lungs.

Hell, he could have snapped her neck the second he realized she was in the room. Of course, it would have caused an issue with Yugi at some point. But he would have been able to do it at any moment. He had no plans to kill her, however. His first instinct had been more to flee than anything. The noise had made his ears ring and his heart skip violently.

He had no qualms with such an action, however. Killing her would have been easy. And her screaming had all but sealed such desire in him. But her speed and the weapon in her hand and the _knowledge that she was his human's mother_ had stopped him. His fingers twitched. If she did not bear such importance in his life, she would be dead. _Long dead_ …

Yami was immediately in the hallway with Yugi behind him. His mother did not seem to have recovered from her shock of whatever Sugoroku was saying to her as of that moment. He had drowned him out immediately. He had been unable to focus on such prattle. His head was throbbing too painfully for him to bother with such stupidity as it was.

So he ignored it all.

He would make it to Yugi's room without further incident.

"Take a seat on the bed, okay?" Yugi instructed, licking his lips. He was nervous; Yami could see it in the shaking of his fingers. He was tense and confused and unnerved. "I'll get a couple of washcloths. You might want to take your shirt off, okay? That way I can get each of the spots."

Yami looked at him for a moment, staring. But his mind would not allow him permission to speak. His voice did not grant him the finesse of words to answer. So the deity merely grunted and turned away, moving to the edge of the mattress. He took a seat, watching Yugi from the corner of his eye. Then he began to pull at his jacket, attempt to undress from it with a small hiss of pain.

From the bathroom Yugi yelped at the pain. But he quickly smothered it when Yami stopped moving. His eyes were on the bathroom door, gaze curious and sharp. But he could feel his muscles wavering in strength and it pressed on his consciousness far more than any hint of interest.

The blow to his shoulder made his right arm quiver as he tugged it from the sleeve and then struggled with his left. The flesh was bright red when he looked at it. The bruises were already hideous where they marred his smooth golden-bronze skin. The offset of color troubled him. A frown crossed his lips. But it also intensified his curiosity. And it made him wonder at the sight of them.

His flesh had turned such a strange shade of purple and black. The yellow undertones of these bruises made his skin crawl. He tilted his head and reached out to poke at one of them.

The pain made him recoil. His hand snapped away. Yugi let out another small cry from the bathroom. A moment later he returned to him. A small metal dish was cupped his hands and a handful of washcloths were draped upon his arm.

His eyes were wide, curious and thoughtful as he regarded him. "You poked one of them, didn't you?" he accused. His voice was full of frustration but his eyes were sparkling with humor.

"I did no such thing," Yami snapped, scoffing even as Yugi snorted in amusement and placed the bowl down. He placed the cloths beside them, tucking them into the flank of the bowl's rim. Then he turned and headed into the bathroom a second time, returning once more with a small dish.

Yami turned to his shoulder once more, hissing when his skin rebelled against the movement. His arm nearly grew slack with pain. The smaller teen grimaced, putting the bowl aside again before coming to his side.

"Stay still for a second, okay?"

Yami considered him for a moment. Then he watched the smaller teen curiously. He did as he bid, red gaze taking in his movements. Yugi reached out slowly, beautifully gentle with his movements. He grasped at the front and back of his shirt, tugging softly to pull it from his sore skin.

It took a long minute for him to even tug it over his face. Yami breathed in roughly at the way it scraped his bruised flesh. Then, with painstaking tenderness, Yugi continued the softer movements to pull it completely over his head and down his arms. When he dropped it to the floor again, Yami blinked at his distressed, heartbroken face.

"Oh, Yami…"

He blinked. The pathetic whisper startled him. The way he seemed almost as if he might burst into tears made his lungs tight. When he looked down, he at first could not cause for such alarm. The bruises did not patch his stomach where Yugi was staring so miserably. Then, slowly, it occurred to him.

Yami felt the impulse to both shy away and to lash out at him all at once.

Yugi was sizing up his weakness. He was studying the way his skin had pulled tight over wasted muscle. He was looking at his ribcage. The bones were visible there. He was looking at the noticeable v-shape of his sharpened hipbones as they faded beneath his waistband. The hem of them sagged pathetically downwards.

His weight was too slight.

Yami bristled faintly.

He frowned, then looked at him. "I…" He hesitated for a long minute. Then he breathed out roughly and looked down at the floor. "It is not healing. _I_ am not _healing_."

The smaller boy nodded slightly in his peripheral. "I know." He swallowed hard, then began to make his way closer. "We'll worry about that when we start working on some of the bruising, okay?"

Yami wanted to snap at him that he did not _care_ about the bruising and his dismissal of what was so much worse made him furious. But he realized that he also did not have to. Yugi knew it as well as he did. He did not have to even sense his emotions to know. He felt similarly, he realized. He was scared and just as aggravated. But he was attempting to focus on the one thing that he knew to be able to fix. He did not want to try anything to mend the larger aches that they were suffering until he had more knowledge.

So he held his tongue and let him run a cloth over his bruises first with warm water. Then he repeated the light touch with the cold in turn. He pressed gently on the skin, with such light and delicate pressure that it failed to cause a wince.

Yugi repeated this immense effort of a task for an hour, alternating easily between both temperatures. He would lean forward on occasion, brushing his nose against his temple. Yami did not know if it was reassurance for himself or the deity. The physical touch was so light and gentle that he could not tell beyond the gossamer effect of it all.

He would look at him from the corner of his eye, however. He would watch, studying, but the smaller teen did not seem to be trying to do more than give him some kind of gentle affirmation.

"I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry." Yugi was whimpering in his ear. Yami blinked, startled, the noise of it making his eyes widen faintly. The human pulled away from him a couple of inches, blinking at him with glassy eyes. He looked as if he might burst into tears at any moment. But the deity could not find it in himself to commit to more purposeful actions than to simply stare at him stupidly. He was lost as to what he might say and was annoyed by his own hesitance to offer any sense of reassurance. "I never meant for any of this to happen."

"But it has," he snapped, though he was unsure of where his frustration was directed. Was it himself? Was it his mounting weakness? Was it Yugi? He seemed so utterly useless and pitiful at the moment.

Yami closed his eyes for a moment. Then he reached up to run a hand through his hair, but flinched and laid his arm back when his shoulder flared brightly with pain. Fuck the woman. He would destroy her. He'd mutilate her and leave her carcass lying about. How dare she ever fathom the idea of striking him!

"It does not hold consequence," he grunted. He forced himself to raise his eyes to look towards the smaller boy once more. "It does not matter that you did not mean to. My matter of being here is of no consequence any longer. What matters is that this is fixed."

"I don't know how to do that!" Yugi spat in mounting distress. He reached up to press his knuckles into his forehead. He was almost wailing with his growing anxiety. His frame was shaking violently. Yami stared at him in pure shock for a brief moment. "I have no idea how to! Yami, I don't know anything about this! I…I have no idea. And I can't—I'm so fucking sorry!"

Yami frowned at him for a moment. The pressure of his distress, though it did not smother, was immense and terrible in its weight. And then the deity felt the heat of his hatred welling once more, his anger flaring dangerously. His patience ran thin. "It does not matter that you know nothing of this."

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

He was whispering some weak, pathetic mantra. The coil of it was soft and painful, so much so that Yami almost missed it. The deity watched him now. His jaw clenched and he sprang to his feet in a rage. " _Silence_!" he spat furiously. His words were so greatly forceful that once again Yugi felt his entire body lock in place. Yugi's head snapped up, eyes wide and horrified. The outburst had shaken him violently, his mouth opening and closing once.

There was a terror in his gaze. His eyes flashed with it and burned as brightly as the sun. the growing submission made him blink slowly.

The silence tugged at his insides for a moment. His inability to move making him feel queasy for the briefest of seconds. He drew in a deep breath, unsure of what more he was meant to do. He looked away from the smaller boy as he considered his words carefully.

The seconds passed but the submissive quality did not drain from the smaller boy as Yami forced himself to consider his words carefully. The seconds ticked away again. Yami stared at him, watching the way Yugi in turn studied him with that blank, overpowered expression.

But it was so hard to do. The fact that he had managed to smother his will a second time like this only seemed to weigh him down further. He felt weak and small now.

He narrowed his eyes. He stared at the carpet as frustration pulled at his blood. His body began to feel harsh, ultimately cunning in its cruel lashing of pain. He finally raised his eyes once more. Their gazes locked. Yami exhaled loudly in an attempt, struggling to smother some of his anger.

"You pulled something through the Shadow Realm with me," Yami said quietly. He blinked at him again. Something began to bloom in Yugi's eyes, a hideous understanding that made his body grow rigid. Yami considered him for only a few moments longer, hissing as he ground his teeth together for a brief moment. "When you completely the Puzzle and forced me here, something…latched upon me. It must have been dormant until now."

Yugi was frozen in shock. His voice was low and distant. The growing horror of the situation made his heart ache. He stared at Yami blankly. " _Something_?" he repeated weakly.

"Something, yes. I do not own a definition of its existence. It could very well be another god. It might be a damned soul meant to be trapped there for eternity. It might even be the monsters banished from within it. Now…perhaps a fragment of my power has taken a form of its own. But I could very well be wrong in any and all assumptions I have thus made. It could be a great _many things_ , Yugi."

There was a rush of anxiety which made Yugi's stomach pulse and his heart race. He thought himself queasy as he swallowed the bile in the back of his throat. He tried to force away an acidic sting from his body. "W-well, w-what do we do?" he managed to breathe out weakly.

Yami tilted his head, turning it closer to face him, eyes sharp and cruel. He peered at him as if he had not heard him properly by any means. "What do we _do_? You foolish, childish little bastard! As long as I shall remain here, it will reside within this world as well! I cannot kill whatever it is that possesses your new friend. It will kill him and if it _should be_ a new formation of my magic, it will kill _me_ as well!"

He lunged forward so quickly that Yugi did not have the chance to even consider flinching out of his reach. He was jerked forward by his shirt, nearly tugged off his feet with the force of it. He was unable to do more than gape up at him as he breathed roughly in his face. "It will grow strong with me. Because it is a _leech_. It came with me, and so it shall _die_ with me. It is _tied_ to me."

"B-but how do you know that? How do you…? I-I mean, did you know when you first came here?"

He released him abruptly and tossed his head back and forth angrily. His breath came out in an enraged sigh, his eyes glittering with exhausted ferocity. "I did not come to feel it then. I was still under the trauma of my essence being ripped apart and then molded into a shape to fit my keeper's design. It is not an experience which leaves much room for acknowledging the presence of a hitchhiker thinking to do me wrong." He paused. Then Yami slowly raised his eyes to the other boy's again, voice growing soft in volume. "No, I feel him _now_. I felt him when we had sex the first time but I feel him now _so_ much _more_."

"I'm so sorry, Yami. I—"

"Know nothing of the powers you have invoked nor of the potential carnage your choices might wrought upon this world." Yami shook his head much more violently this time. Then he reached a hand to rub his fingers along his right temple. His nails sunk into his skin and the sensation was so dulled he did not feel the initial sting of pain. A small splotch of blood had formed beneath his fingertips before he even began to realize the wound had been inflicted. Carefully he removed his fingers and ignored the urge to lap his tongue over the slender digits. "You did not know. Because you know _nothing_. You are human. You are just as pathetic as the rest of them. You are all greedy and weak and _hideously_ stupid. You are all… _worthless_!"

Yugi flinched as if he might strike out at him. But the other boy merely watched him. And his fingers ticked with tension, jerking subtly, but he did nothing more than pant with growing ferocity.

"But there is no change of such things. We shall have to find some way to manage it." He paused, then hissed at him bitterly. His eyes flickered about the room for a moment before they locked with Yugi's once more. "How we will do so when we have no idea how to do such a thing with _ourselves_ is beyond me but I am sure you will come up with _something_ ludicrous enough to work."

The smaller teen swallowed hard. His eyes were wide, glazed with fear and growing panic. His fingers were trembling faintly. He couldn't think straight, shaking his head slightly.

This movement made Yami blink at him from the corner of his eye. The action caught and held his attention. And the deity could not help it when he turned his head to look towards the other boy again. He barked out a laugh, horrified as he stared at him. "A worthless human…that is what I have been reduced to playing my faith in. I must be weaker than I originally assumed myself to be."

* * *

Yugi poked his head into the room. His stomach hurt as he gripped the doorjamb at his side and struggled to remain in place. He wanted nothing more than to turn and bolt back to his room again. At least in there he was well aware of where he stood. Yami would simply glance at him, an expression full of curiosity and slight disdain, and then turn away again in clear dismissal.

"Mom?" he breathed out. He swallowed hard, preparing himself for the storm he knew would come to face him in mere moments. He tapped his nails against the doorjamb for a long moment.

She startled. Then she spun on him. Her face was twisted with a fierce scowl, her usual beauty lost in the angry expression. "Yugi," she snapped, voice nearly venomous. She stared at him with dark eyes and he watched him. The seconds ticked by until Yugi took a small step into the room with a glance around.

"…I guess I'm supposed to apologize now…right?"

There was an immense amount of condescension in his tone. He had not expected it to leave his mouth in such a way. But he didn't bother to look at her apologetically, nor to breathe a word of such statement. Instead Yugi watched her in turn as her eyes narrowed and she seemed to grow further infuriated with him. He wondered how it was possible that she could show him anymore. How she found the energy to grow steadily more upset made him want to laugh.

How was it fair that she could have such energy? His own was so precariously drained as it was. How was it even slightly possible? He nearly did laugh this time. He and Yami were so _exhausted_ and yet _everyone else_ seemed to be _okay_.

Though it surprised him, he could not truly find it in him to give much of a damn. Let her be angry with him. It was not as if it truly mattered much anymore as it was.

Everything was going to hell as it was. Something was leeching away Yami's energy and Yugi had _noting to offer him_. He was absolutely _useless_ in the fact of a threat neither had a proper face to match. Ryou was apparently the vessel of said leech. His friends had come to the conclusion that he was in an abusive relationship.

His entire body still ached from the beating his mom had given Yami. He was tired and his head hurt. The weight of the conversation they were meant to have drained him further. Every bone in his body felt too weak to move properly. His shoulder was killing him. His temple still felt slick from where Yami had split the skin on his own and had not bothered to let him clean it yet.

He still had to clean that.

Yugi nearly sighed in frustration.

Everything just kept piling up and nothing was resolving itself…

His mom's anger was laughable in light of all of this. His life had become one huge tangle of turmoil and his mom wanted to yell at him. He had no reason to fear her wrath, nor to pay attention in all reality. Everything was just so…fucked.

Everything was so _fucked_.

The thought was painful but full of hatred as well. His life was a spiraling mass of stupidity at this rate. He wondered if this was what Yami felt like all the time. His reality was so bleak and his mind responded by supplying hatred and anger in the forefront of his emotions. His emotional spectrum extended from the extremity of rage to the most beautiful of passions. And all of it was bore at him in retaliation to his mistakes and confusion, his pathetic lack of balance.

He could hardly blame him as it was. Yami had every right to treat him as a threat or grow unnerved when in his presence. He had every right to be upset or grow frustrated or desire to lash out at him.

If this was one of the reasons for his violence, Yugi welcomed it. This understanding might go far in his task of coming to find some kind of balance between them. But then, perhaps it wouldn't either.

But how exhausting was it to feel such things all the time?

He nearly groaned at the thought. Yami had to have so much strength to deal with this so constantly, because he himself did not think it was possible that he could live that way.

"I don't think it matters if you do one way or the other," she snapped at him angrily. Her voice had grown close to something almost akin hysteria and he blinked at her in surprise. "It doesn't change a single damn thing, does it?"

He knew that phrase. It was one that she only ever used when she was so angry that she was struggling to keep from screaming. She would seethe and rage and sit on her anger. And she would say something of that magnitude to express her mounting frustration.

"No, it doesn't, does it?" he asked softly. His frown deepened and he shook his head as he studied her. Her glare made his eyes narrow further. How dare she. He barely suppressed the urge to cross his arms or wrap them around his stomach. He had both the desire to shield himself from her eyes and lash out in his anger. But then it passed, as everything seemed to now, and he instead blinked slowly. "I wasn't going to anyways. I just wanted to know if you would have accepted one."

There was a long minute of silence between them. It was overpowering and overwhelming, pressing into them both. Yugi counted the seconds, then tilted his head. Wasn't she going to answer? She looked somehow further infuriated.

He blinked, then slowly moved his hands to his pockets. He shifted his weight to lean against the doorjamb. There was no way he could bypass the shakiness in his legs or hands as he stood there.

"This is something way too complicated to just explain and _hope_ that you understand," he mumbled. The words were so soft as to be nearly nonexistent, but he didn't have anything else to say as of the moment. She looked as if the might take the phone in her hand—no doubt she had been calling his father—and throw it at him in a rage. But she had never been a violent woman. She had never once truly raised a hand to him beyond the average parental discipline and even that was mostly his dad instead.

She was more likely to yell than to strike him. She was unwilling to hit him, but not a stranger. He supposed he should be thankful for that. But the fact that she had ever hit Yami in the first place still infuriated him.

"You have been harboring someone in this house and you expect me to just be _okay_ with it?" she spat at him. Her eyes flashed with growing frustration and Yugi hesitated for only a moment longer. Then he let his gaze flicker around the room, taking a note from Yami's book to study the interior in a bid to find some words. His eyes were trained on the numerous pictures on the walls that he had once given her in grade school.

The childish images made him tilt his head for a moment once more. It made him wonder, curiously, if he looked as dangerous as Yami did when he moved in such a way. His lips twisted into a frown, something blank and expressionless, and looked towards him again. Sometimes he wondered why she kept them when she seemed so angry with him whenever he made the "wrong decision" by her standards.

"No, I don't expect you to be _okay_ with it! And if I thought you were going to be _reasonable about it_ , I might have even asked for permission before I decided to let him stay here."

"Reasonable? You want me to be _reasonable_?" she snorted loudly. Her voice was slightly hysterical now, bordering the edges of a yell. Yugi stared at her in response, not the least bit undone by her anger. "You want me to be reasonable about my son harboring a stranger in my _home_? Do you even know much about him? He could be a _murderer_ for all you know! He could be planning to kill you and me and your grandfather at any moment!"

Yugi had to struggle to keep from laughing out loud. The irony of the moment was beating at the inside of his skull. He could barely suppress the urge to howl. As it was, he fought hard not to smirk too apparently.

She had practically hit each and every one of his insecurities concerning Yami in two sentences.

 _He is a murderer. He's extremely dangerous and he'll kill without remorse the first chance he receives. He'll crush my skull when the very first opportunity presents itself. And he is a complete mystery to me. Do I know anything about him_? _No, I don't_. _I'm walking a very dangerous, fragile line with him._

 _But he's also_ hurt _._

 _And_ I _am responsible for him, no matter_ how _hard he fights me or anyone tries to make me think_ otherwise _._

He drew in a deep breath. Then he shook his head slightly and narrowed his eyes. "He could have killed me," he admitted in a low voice, staring at her with an almost eerie calm in his gaze. "Multiple times. You and Grandpa leave me alone all of the time, Mom. And neither of you have _any_ actual idea about how long he has been here with me."  
She gave him a startled look, disgusted, but he continued in the same frosty tone his voice had collected moments before.

"Neither of you would have _any idea what had happened if he_ had _decided to kill me_!"

 _And, if he ever_ did _decide to do it, I have no_ doubt _the police will be chasing their own tails like they are now with Ushio_. _His DNA has no true coding. He has no actual genetic structure because he's not human. And if he has a strand, it's probably mine._

"I am so sorry that you would rather me spend time with you and go homeless than be alone!" she snarled a moment later. He blinked, her choice of words startling him from his own thoughts. He raised a brow, tilting his head, and studied her face more closely.

He had never had any qualms with her working extra shifts or his grandpa traveling beyond his health or running the shop. He had no issues whatsoever with being alone—or at least he did not most of the time.

When he had first met Yami, however, that had changed somewhat. It had seemed insignificant at first, then had grown more powerful. The day his mom had come home, he had been begging him mentally to come to his room and sit with him. He had wanted him to talk or just keep him company. He had just wanted him to occupy space somewhere near him.

He had needed someone there for a little while. But it had not been the deity to answer him. But the woman in front of him had. She had come to see him that night by chance. And somehow, weeks later, he was infuriated by the very concept.

"That? It has nothing to do with _anything_! It has _literally nothing_ to do with it. I can take care of myself, _Mother_. I know how to do the chores and watch the shop when Grandpa isn't here." He scowled at her and shook his head sharply. "I know how to cook when I'm hungry and buy things from a supermarket. You don't have any excuse for thinking I'm _unable to look after myself_."

He blinked, his anger mounting further as he regarded her. Then he exhaled long and slow, his eyes glinting with ice and frost. To his mother, he appeared to be almost as unnatural as the boy she had struck so many times with the ladle minutes before. His eyes had seemed so disgusting and strange. The shade of his irises had been such an unholy shade of red…

"I would have done this regardless."

She blinked at him, startled and slightly horrified. His choice of words made her stomach knot painfully.

"And you were home when he first began to stay here. You just never noticed," he admitted softly. He blinked and lowered his eyes to the floor as his lips twisted into the widest of sarcastic smirks. He couldn't help it when he lifted his head again, gazes locking, and his voice came out frosty but immensely amused. "It looks like we're both a little confused about how well I can look after myself."

She blinked, an argument blooming on her lips, but Yugi simply shook his head. He didn't give her a chance to speak, turning on his heel and making his way immediately down the hall to his room. The door opened quietly and clicked shut behind him softly as he crept inside.

His entrance was not unnoticed. Yami's eyes locked on his instantly as the boy walked in. he blinked, frowning, and the red gaze glinted curiously as he tilted his head slowly. His brow rose slowly.

"It's okay," Yugi whispered, realizing that the other was sampling the immense tension in his body. His own emotional state was too broad and forced at the moment. He licked his lips and bit the inside of his cheek. The muscles taut in his body made him swallow thickly. The frustration refused to cease, beating against his insides painfully. A million and one different things seemed to be piling up on top of each other. The frustration was reaching a peak, yet mellowing out due to Yami's more curious state of mind. He shook his head slightly, granting the deity the smallest ghost of a smile. "I was just talking to my mom."

The other boy did not blink. "About me."

Yugi faltered, frowning now. "Yes."

"Did anything colorful come out?"

Yugi felt his lips twitch this time, eyes softening with amusement. The tension left him as if he had been doused with water. He smiled warmly, shaking his head. "No," he said softly, watching him. "No."

Yami watched him for a long handful of minutes. Then he nodded slightly and looked away. His shoulders braced upwards in a shrug but then splintered with pain. He reached for the handle of the smaller boy's drawer, running his fingers over the smooth metal. It eased some of the ache in his bones.

Yugi flinched in his peripheral, sensing and sharing his aching joints. His face fell entirely, his eyes darkened with sorrow. He sat back on the bed, biting his lip as he considered Yami for a moment.

"Do you…do you want something out of there?"

The deity halted, at first confused, and then rapidly considering his words. Did he want something from within the drawer? Yami blinked and narrowed his gaze slightly. No, he had no desire to reach inside of the drawer, nor see its contents. He had simply been looking for something to do with his hands as well as the need to ease the ache in his shoulders.

He was exhausted and angry and he could not function like this for much longer. If he was kept at such a pace he was sure he would turn and lash out violently at some point.

And he was too vulnerable to allow such a thing.

He had just meant to waste his energy somewhat.

But then…what energy was there to truly waste? He could not stand to lose anymore than he already had. But there was so much pain which made his muscles bunch beneath his skin. And he had to relieve it somehow. How else was he meant to do that if he was to simply sit there?

He traced the metal of the drawer's handle again, his long fingers welcoming such an immense chill. He looked slowly at Yugi, eyes narrow and curious. Had he moved at some point? He seemed closer. In fact, the smaller teen seemed almost ready to reach out and pull it open for him, as if he assumed he would save him pain doing such a thing.

He blinked. He did not care for the contents of that little drawer. It was nothing that mattered to him. But Yugi looked so alarmed and willing to help him regardless. Yami dropped his hand from the piece of furniture, letting it fall into his lap after a moment.

"No, I do not want into the drawer."

Their eyes were locked when he spoke. Yami did not blink, the stillness of his body ethereal and unusually shocking. Not only did the action seem strange, but Yugi could feel the eeriness of his divinity in the air that moment. The deity was otherworldly and unnatural to the core, from his eyes such a vibrant shade to the starburst effect of his pupils to the long nails that cut through skin like butter.

Yugi blinked, lowering his eyes, and traced his nails over the comforter beside him. He did not look up, but had he, he would have seen Yami close his eyes and tip his head to the side, comforted by the small scratching sound. It was comforting and painful to his ears all at once, but the edges of it were silky and smooth and touched him in gossamer hints which made him want to purr.

"Come over here with me."

Yami blinked his eyes open again. Then he looked up from beneath his lashes, red eyes glittering. "Over there?" he questioned slowly, tilting his head and watching him. "Why?"

"It's nicer when you sit on the bed. The desk chair isn't as comfortable."

The deity raised his head some more. His lips tugged downwards, into both a frown and a grimace seconds later. "I am well aware. But why should I sit there with you? I cannot stand to be near you for long periods of time. Is that not the issue we have come upon just recently?" he questioned, narrowing his eyes curiously. "I cannot even take rest beside you. You are too hot for me to remain exposed to."

Yugi blinked, his heart aching at the softer tone of his voice. He nodded slightly, licking his lips again. "I know. But you can always move back over there later if you want…"

But why should he want to do that? He was so terribly sore. And getting up from the chair and moving to the bed and back again… It would simply infuriate his wasted muscles further. He knew well enough that he did not have the energy to spare. Yet something was almost…

Perhaps the word was appetizing?

No…

Alluring, maybe?

He supposed that made more sense.

Something was almost alluring about the idea of taking a seat beside him.

Yugi seemed to sense his line of thought. "I can take the desk chair instead. I'll move, okay? You can stay on the bed if you want." He opened and closed his mouth. Then he ducked his head and looked away slowly. "I will move as _soon_ as you ask me to."

Yami stared at him for a long minute. Then he got to his feet slowly. His legs were perhaps the only part of his body which did not recoil with the immensity of his pain. When he strode to his side, taking the spot next to him, he made sure to put a good foot of distance between them. It was not out of repulsion as it would have been before then. It was necessity which bore down on him now.

The difference was startling to him. His eyes flickered to Yugi along the edge of his gaze. He blinked and studied him for a moment. This situation irked him and his body responded in kind with a spike of pain and grieving anger. The infliction made him want to hiss with distress.

But then he bit away his frustration, cutting it off as if with a knife. He dropped back against the mattress, eyes closed.

It was so much softer than the metal back of the damn chair he had been seated in for so long. A bit of the ache in his muscles began to relax at the soothing touch of such a warm, gentle material.

"Thank you…"

Yami blinked stupidly. Then he turned his eyes on him once more, bemused.

The boy hesitated for a moment, then he cleared his throat and swallowed hard. Yugi had the faintest impulse to reach out and touch his arm. He was drawn, if only for a split second, to the idea of running his fingers over his wrist or his palms. "For not attacking her," he elaborated, pausing for a moment longer. Then he quickly looked away when he saw the bemusement become frosty. "I know that had to have been hard for you. You could have killed her at any second if you had wanted to. And she was still attacking you. I…I don't know what I expected when I came up the stairs. But I do know that it was never that…"

Yami stared at him, his eyes boring into the smaller teen's skin harshly. "You do not know what it was that you expected?" he drawled sardonically, mocking him as he bore his teeth into a sneer of a smile. Yugi glanced at him, confused by his tone, and felt himself grow cold with tension upon seeing those glittering red eyes. "You heard her screaming and expected me to be attacking her. Do not elude yourself, Yugi."

Yugi shook his head, frowning at him deeply. "No, actually, I don't know what I thought was happening," he said as the deity snorted and rolled his eyes. He closed them a second later and Yugi again wanted to reach out and touch him. But mostly he wanted to run the back of his hand along his cheeks, see how cold the smooth skin really was now that he was so unhealthy. "I just knew that something had happened. I heard the table flip and I panicked. Then there was screaming and…I didn't expect her to be hurting you. And I never thought you would have held off from retaliating. I…honestly, Yami, I didn't expect you to have come back yet."

He blinked. "Why not?" His eyes had begun to narrow into gleaming slits of dark red, anger and hatred showing in his gaze. "It is not as if I can afford to remain away from you for longer than this…"

Yugi shook his head. The impulse made his fingers twitch and he licked his lips again, watching him closely. "No, but I…I guess I just figured if you had planned to stay away from me then that would be what you would do. I…"

"You think that I should wish to die alone?"

He flinched violently. "I—D-don't say it so casually like that. But…yes…"

There was a long, immense period of silence which stretched between them restlessly. It made Yugi's heart pound and ache, his throat clogging painfully. He swallowed hard, choking on the tension which was borne within the room.

Yami abruptly sat up. He turned his face to him completely now. His red eyes were sharp, yet somehow cold and glazed over as well. Somehow he seemed to be staring at him and through him all at once.

The smaller boy stared at him, struggling for words. Had he upset him? Was he going to lash out at him?

But the other teen merely leaned forward only slightly, baring his teeth as he began to hiss words at him. "I do not wish to die, Yugi. I am immortal. To die here, in this pathetic little world, with nothing of my strength, it would be… _shameful_. And pitiful. And…I…I can not _imagine_ being returned to my status formerly if I were to _die here_. This world will not be my tomb. If for nothing else, I will save myself simply for my own pride. And, should I die in this lowly plane, you will know. Because I will do it _in front of you_."

He stared at him, horrified. The taller boy got to his feet again, not once looking at him. He paced to the desk chair, then plopped down once more. He turned away again completely, his attention upon his morphed reflection. The shadows were writhing, flickering about, and the deity stared at them as they danced before his eyes. To look at them was more comforting than to glance at Yugi.


	5. Chapter V

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Yu-Gi-Oh!**

 **Warning: So, the same as last time. The cursing should be relatively mild but grows a little more at times, Season 0 Yami whose a bit more unhinged in this story than he was in _Behind You_ , so keep that in mind.**

 **Note: There are various/copious mentions of blood, some graphic images of death, sensual moments and feelings, touches of violence/abuse, slight OOCness but it's due to stress (and it's mostly going to be from Yugi whose going to suffer pretty badly where Yami is involved and choices he makes in order to help Yami), slight touches of depression, possible triggers**

 **Update Schedule: I'm going to try (again) for bi-weekly updates**

Chapter V

It was hours later that Yugi woke in the middle of the night. He blinked against the dull light of a half-full moon and squinted to gain his focus again. The shadows were longer than he remembered, hideous and spiked against the walls. It took him only a moment to roll over, alarmed at first by the absence of his companion. He startled, reaching out, and then froze in place in shock.

Yami was seated at his desk. His arms were folded and his forehead pressed against the cool metal. Yugi drew in a painful breath, watching him, and felt a shiver trail down his spine. He thought for a moment that the deity looked as if he had been touched by the winter air, molded by it, permanently frozen in place.

"Yami?" he whispered softly, voice weak and low, croaking as he breathed in slowly and tried to see if the other was still awake. He licked his lips and bit at his cheek, eyes wide in the dark.

His name made his head turn but he did not raise it from the metal. His eyes flickered in the dark, his pupils mere pinpricks. The red of his irises glowed and danced with slivers of cold silver moonlight at the bottoms. He did not speak. He simply watched him.

Yugi swallowed thickly, considering him for a long moment. He looked worn and tired, and if Yugi had ever thought him ethereal before, he was anything but now. Aside from his otherworldly eyes, his regality and elegance seemed far gone. He shivered again.

"It's Ryou, isn't it?"

The deity did not blink, nor did he feign ignorance. "Is that his name?"

"Yeah.

He grunted but did not look away. He remembered Yugi demanding to know why he told him not to walk with him. He remembered him saying "Ryou" before and it stunned him for a moment that he had not recalled his name instantly. Yami felt a cold chill in the center of his spine; it was getting worse. Somehow, without explanation, it was already growing that much more apparent.

His eyes were dancing coldly, swirling in the darkness, with an almost mocking edge that made Yugi shiver. The smaller teen moved to sit up beneath the covers. His body was clammy with sweat, his skin too hot and feverish, but he ignored it. He watched Yami instead, eyes wide in the darkened room, and drew the covers further around his shoulders as he met his unwavering look. "You said you couldn't kill him…"

"And I won't." Yami still did not raise his head. Yugi felt a cold dread seep through his body, horror swamping at his senses. The thought occurred to him that the other did not have the strength to do so. And what would he do if he couldn't? "I must find another way to fix this mess."

"But, if you hurt him…will it hurt you?"

"It is a risk, but it is one I will have to take. I am not sure what he is. He may or may not be some part of me. If he is not, then I must find out what he is," Yami replied in an eerily calm tone. He blinked and his eyes seemed to splinter with shadows before his pupils became pinpricks once more. "If he is, then I must find a way to reclaim him."

"Do you have a plan?"

The words tasted bitter in his mouth, almost mocking. The deity stared at him for a moment, and then let out a long, drawn out huff of breath.

"All I desire is to kill him." He looked away towards the skylight and his eyes became hooded. If it were not for the dire situation, Yugi would have assumed it was with a satisfied, nearly pleasured sense with which he stared out of the window. "I want to bathe in his blood right now. That is all I wish for, Yugi."

"Please don't hurt him."

"Do you have feelings for him?"

His mouth fell open immediately. Disgust surged through him in waves. They crashed violently and tore at his patience. He was ready to open his mouth and snap at him angrily. How dare he accuse him of that! Yugi liked to think that he was a loyal person, regardless of whether it was towards friends or family. The thought that Yami might accuse him of wanting to screw around with Ryou was infuriating.

But then his anger snapped away. Yami had threatened to tear Tea's throat out in front of him. He would never ask him if he was interested in someone else in such a way. Yami meant to ask if he had developed some sense of friendship towards the other boy. He had not meant to phrase the inquiry in any other way that denoted platonic intentions.

He did not suspect Yugi of having romantic interest in him in the slightest. It was just as it had been when they were in the alley, when he had nearly killed Ushio that first time. He had asked him to tell him he loved him, to say it with meaning, to prove to him that Ushio was _worth_ his effort to save him.

He had just wanted to know and witness Yugi say that perhaps he cared enough to intervene again.

And, while Yugi cared, it was not truly about Ryou.

"I don't want anyone to get hurt, Yami. Least of all, you."

The deity's expression was cold and blank as he looked at him slowly from the corner of his gaze. He lifted his head, pressing his chin against the metal now. The relief that coursed through Yugi made him nearly shake; it hadn't seemed to take too much effort for Yami to do so. He did not have to wait and attempt to recover either. He was not so far wasted away as of that moment.

"You say that as if you might stop me from my own self-destruction," he stated wryly. His smirk was lopsided, eyes full of amusement and mocking laughter. "Surely you must know better."

"I know that I will _never_ stop you from doing what you want," Yugi admitted on an exhale, watching him with that same relief warming his insides. "But I can at least try to talk to you about what it is that might do more harm than good."

"You waste your time, Yugi."

"No, it's not a waste of time." He frowned at him, watching as the deity turned his head to face him more fully. "I don't think of it as a waste of time. If I did, wouldn't I be considering _you_ a waste of time?"

"Do you not?" he replied slowly, watching him with a frosty gleam in his dark eyes. The silver beneath the red made his heart pound faintly. "I consider you as such sometimes."

"I know that," he said softly. "I know you do. And you have a right to. You didn't deserve any of this. And I'm sorry to have brought it on you like this. You're right about it too, because you don't have a reason to think otherwise. But I don't have that excuse and I would never consider you that, Yami. I…Please, I don't want you to get hurt any more than you already are."

"We shall see what is to happen, Yugi. It may be the only way to find the answers we need."

Yugi wished he could have said more. He wished there was some kind of argument that he could have made. And he wished he could have made Yami promise that it would not happen, that there would be no fight and that he would heal anyways. He wished that he could get him to agree that he would not attack Ryou, if only for his own sake.

But self-preservation was far more apparent in the other boy than it was him. And to expect more than what he was given was something he could not justify. Yami was a creature that would fight tooth and nail and either destroy his enemy or himself in the meantime. He was not someone who could be calmed by easy words and the simplest measure of common sense.

Yami had that in spades.

It was what made him so violent.

It was also what gave him tunnel vision.

He would lash out at any source of discomfort he could find.

And he would wound himself in the meantime.

But it never did anything to stop him.

Yugi let out a small breath, then nodded and finally shifted to lay back down again. He could not remove his eyes from the deity, however, and in turn it caused those red eyes to peer back at him. The other boy watched him as unblinkingly as a predator considering its prey. Yugi yawned and pain flared up his arm when he stretched it out and pulled the blanket up.

"Why don't you lay with me?" he offered in a soft mumble. He watched the deity for a long minute, feeling the silence between them like boulders pressing onto his skin. He wondered if it was possible to freeze to death when you were feverish.

Yami looked away from his physical body to the blankets beside him. They looked soft and warm, so inviting. And his skin was so cold, his blood like ice, irreparably damaged. He was tired and discontent. His own body felt like a tomb rather than a vessel of blood and bones.

For a moment he truly thought to turn away. Yugi was feverish. He was too hot to the touch. He would burn him. And he didn't think he could handle it. The tightness in his body was harsh and terrible beneath his skin. And his flesh was riddled with aches and pains.

But he still saw that pleading desperation in the smaller boy's eyes.

And he recognized the pain in his gut which wrenched upwards.

It had kept him awake for hours now. And he had been staring at the floor for so long that he could not bear to do so again. And, while it was unbearable, he did want some kind of company. The loneliness was gnawing at his guts.

The only person he could go to, was the one who had done this to him, whom he hated more than anything.

Yami nearly laughed at the irony. Reluctance clawed its way through his system. His lungs felt heavy and his heart hurt as it twisted too viciously behind his ribs. He blinked and stared. And then he raised his head again, eyes on the opening he was offering.

He got up and his body hurt as he shuffled forward. He paused, hovering at the edge of the mattress. The smaller teen scooted back to make more room for him. His arm never wavered from its invitation.

Yami watched him for a moment. Then he slowly kicked his shoes off, hesitating for a moment longer. He drew in a breath, hovering, and finally got under the covers beside him. Yugi did not move to touch him, but Yami felt as if he were running his fingers over his skin in reassurance. He might have even welcomed his touch, he was so desperate for physical comfort at the moment.

But instead the smaller teen smiled at him as if content by his very presence.

"Good night."

Yami turned his head to look at him as he began to doze off. The smaller teen was so soft and fragile in appearance. He almost wanted to lash out at the same time as he desired to draw him closer and hold him.

Yugi was half-asleep when he heard an extremely quiet "Good night" in response.

* * *

Yugi woke alone and exhausted. His body ached all over from the wounds the other had gained from his mother's ladle-whipping. He yawned, flustered at first by the deity's disappearance, but realized he had most likely grown too restless to remain there. It was no secret that he despised being close to him for long amounts of time. And it was hard to justify his unhappiness as being arrogant and wanting to go back.

He had said once himself that he did not wish to go back, that he could not. Yugi had said he wanted to kill him, that Yugi was the single most dangerous threat to him. And he realized between the name he had given him and the Puzzle, Yami was not saying anything that was out of the realm of possibility. He was being truthful, reminding him that there were consequences he had not foreseen in completing the Puzzle and releasing him here.

Had he been in the same situation, Yugi would have been similarly upset and miserable. Yami held his at bay using anger and hatred, but it was clear on days he let his guard down just a little too much, that he was not happy. He was more exhausted, felt as if he were condemned, and there was always the softest hint of confusion which softened this blow of anguish and misery. He was trying to remember something that he had no idea how to grasp at. And so he struggled violently with the need to lash out and protect his vulnerability.

Yugi had not told him yet that he knew there was something missing. Yami would not have reacted well. Most likely he would have lashed out and ripped into him at any second.

Slowly, lazily, Yugi reached up to rub at his eyes. His shoulder pulled with the movement. But the hot and cold alternation from the night before seemed to have eased some of the strain of the inflictions. He closed his eyes tightly for a moment, yawning again, and then sighed softly.

Yami was okay, at least. Yugi ran a hand through his hair. No doubt he was more infuriated by his lack of mobility and physical range than anything. The small inflictions of pain had probably done him well to grow angered further. But he hoped that he had not gotten hurt any further.

Maybe he was relaxing from exhaustion shared between the two of them. He thought he had to be laying down somewhere, tired and planning something. It was clear to him that his pleas not to hurt Ryou had not fallen on deaf ears, but Yami was a strategist. He would find some kind of weakness, pinpoint it, and exploit it until he could find the perfect opening. Then he was sure things would go out of hand, possibly destroying them all.

He shivered.

Maybe, instead, Yami was asleep at the moment.

But then Yugi felt his stomach knot with frustration. He shook his head, sighing. Yami did not sleep often. And most often it was not by his own will. He remembered him telling him that. He remembered falling asleep and waking to Yami playing cards in the dark or flipping through a book beside him on the bed.

Yugi felt sick. That had to mean that Yami would succumb to rest only when he had to swap his sense of well-being and security for a restless slumber. And that probably meant that he simply wasted his energy until he was forced to crash. How he managed to truly fall asleep of his own will around Yugi was something that he could not fathom.

But somehow Yami still managed it.

When he did not stay up to play cards or read in the dark, he would fall asleep with him.

And the small teen had to admire him for that. He had to admire him for what he did, how he tried so hard to at least make an attempt to bridge the gap between the two of them. He was not unwilling to try to find middle ground. Yugi had never tried to force him to do anything against his will before. Yami was rough around the edges and he hated it when he tried to learn more about him, but he was not unwilling or unreceptive when he approached him in new ways.

He did what was necessary and tried at times to go a step further when he thought it allowed. He just didn't know boundaries and he often lost patience with his own attempts. The deity just did not seem to have the energy for it all beyond that.

He sat up and looked around the room slowly. He pulled his legs into a crisscrossed position. His eyes flickered towards the window and, for the briefest moment, he thought the clouds looked far too white. It seemed almost as if it might snow again. But it was too warm for that. It would not stick. If they got another small dusting, it would not be that day either.

He sighed softly and his shoulders rose slightly as he sighed softly. He bit his lip and contemplated his explanation of Yami's existence there to his mother. And then how might he explain his absence now? He knew as well as she did that they had gone to bed together. What she expected happened in the night obviously had not, but he didn't see the point in rattling her cage too harshly at the moment.

A memory drifted through his head unbidden.

Yami had agreed, when he had first asked him to stay there, right before he had allowed him to fuck him as he had done moments before, to tell him before he did such a thing. He was supposed to tell him before he left. He was supposed to try to give him an estimation of what point he might come back. It could be days away, weeks, even months. Yugi didn't care as long as he told him.

He frowned at himself, shaking his head. With all of the things going on, he could not blame him for failing to remember. He had so many other things that he had to worry about. His energy was fading rapidly and sex was not returning it. Yami was all but going to be rendered helpless if he did not attempt a preemptive strike.

And why should he remember when Yugi himself had only just remembered? It was illogical and unfair to think that he should be held responsible for that when he himself could barely keep up with it.

But he would have to talk to him about it. Yugi ran a hand through his hair. Disappearing and not telling him before he did was really beginning to dig into him again.

He looked around slowly as he crept out of his room and towards the kitchen a good twenty minutes later. The hot water had done well for his bruises, even if the initial walk under the spray had made him nearly cry out. He had covered his mouth, swallowing it away, but had flinched in agony when he realized just how clearly Yami must have felt that stifling pain as well.

If he had been asleep then, he definitely no longer was. And he had to be the one to blame. Yugi bit the inside of his cheek and forced himself to push the thought aside, glancing around a second time.

It felt almost as if the world had slowed around him. As if his mother's anger had become a living entity, because the entire house seemed occupied and smothering. He swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat, and narrowed his eyes. The impulse to flee was overwhelming for only a moment before he began to make his way into the kitchen. If he fled out the door and hurried to school, he would sidestep the possibility of crossing paths with his mom.

But he had too many questions.

And he needed a lot of answers.

He felt as if some instinct in the back of his mind had known that he might be there. He narrowed his eyes further, then bit his lip harder so that blood pooled on his tongue. Then he realized that the other occupant in front of him had to have been there for a while. Yugi wondered if he felt guilty as well, if maybe the thought of having lied to his daughter weighed heavily on him.

He glanced up, startled by his sudden weight added to the chair. The legs scraped loudly against the tiles, if only for the smallest of seconds. He drew in a deep breath as his grandfather murmured a surprised, "Yugi!"

The small teen frowned at that somewhat relieved expression that had formed on his face. He looked him over and his breath felt harsh in his lungs. Yugi tilted his head to the side, wondering at such a thought, and then his frown deepened as he regarded the nervous twitch of his left cheek. "You look…like you expected me to be upset," he admitted with a raised brow. He settled back against the chair's rest and felt an exhausted sigh tug up from his insides.

"I would be," the elderly Motou admitted with a frown, staring at him in clear puzzlement. That tic in his left cheek was more pronounced now. "After all of the things that happened last night, I would be absolutely _pissed_."

Yugi was flummoxed for the briefest of seconds. Why should he be upset for the things that he had chosen to do? He had brought her anger on himself. And he had known it would happen eventually, that she would learn about his existence there. He had played with fate, and he had gambled as foolishly as only he could.

He had not expected it to happen so soon, however. But he had known that it should happen at some point. It was not the least bit truly surprising to him. He knew for a fact that there was no true place for him to harbor anger.

So he simply shook his head.

"Yami has enough anger for both of us."

He wondered where it would be directed at this moment, however.

Was it Yugi?

Was it himself?

Was it his lack of energy?

Was it Ryou?

"Yes, I am sure he does." Sugoroku sounded almost wistful and amused. A slight smile came upon his elderly face as they looked at each other. For the single, smallest second, Yugi wished he could smack it from his lips. And he wanted to cringe away from that dubious fondness in his old gaze.

He looked at him with an expression that should have been reserved for the grandson in front of him rather than the echo of a god he had never truly met completely. He seemed almost to think himself further related to Yami than he did Yugi.

The thought made him shiver.

In his place, would he be just as vicious and angry as Yami was? Or would he somehow be calmer, more level-headed? He found it unfathomable to think that anyone could remain calm when they were dragged from a painful place and thrust into a body that was still forming. He was weak, he was exhausted because something had _followed him from the Shadow Realm_. He still suffered a million and one different issues where his body was involved.

He had no reflection even. There was nothing to be seen but writhing blackness and red glittering eyes set against the smoky design. His teeth looked like the blades of a thousand knives. His form was never fully definite…

He shivered again. Then he tilted his head and his frown deepened further.

"He seems the type to allow things to fester."

Yugi blinked at his grandfather, at first confused by the statement. Then he considered it again, the words echoing in his skull. There was a curiosity in those plum purple eyes as they bore into him completely. The echo was deafening in his ears.

Was Yami the type to let things fester?

Yugi felt himself swallowing away immense laughter.

"No. Not really," he argued softly, shaking his head as his grandpa frowned slightly at the way his eyes began to appear troubled. Yugi moved just enough to put his elbows on the table as if it might help him to steady himself. "He lashed out violently the first chance that he gets. I think he's more likely to go for a long and steady plan of attack than blow his chances immediately. But he doesn't let things _fester_. He hates and hates and _hates_ but it drifts when he needs it to. He has control of it. And when things are threatening, he tends to eliminate it before he does anything else…"

Yugi trailed off. Yami tried to eliminate anything and everything that posed a threat to him. He tried his hardest to protect himself even in such a weak body. His lack of comprehension of the most common knowledge of the human race seemed to form its axis. He would kill and maim and lash out as violently as possible. He would try to either destroy or force away anything to pose a threat.

But the biggest threat was he himself.

And Yami was unable to kill him.

He was unable to even truly harm him.

Yugi shivered, shaking his head violently. Then he looked at his grandpa more fully, considering him. He had to keep his head on straight. He had to figure out what to say and how to make his questions work…

"That's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

His grandfather frowned at him, questioning him silently. But Yugi merely flinched, unable to articulate any further words. He stayed quiet for a long moment. What was he really meant to say now? How was he supposed to state his questions? Was there a way to do so without sounding like an absolute idiot as Yami so often claimed him to?

He shifted, his shoulders racked with pain, and winced visibly as he leaned forward further, putting his arms flat on the table. "What do you know about the Millennium Ring?" he finally muttered, deterring the conversation as quickly as he could.

"Millennium _Ring_?" Sugoroku asked in a bemused tone, frowning at him deeply and shaking his head again slowly. There was such puzzlement to plague his features that Yugi almost felt sick to his stomach as they looked at each other. "I have only ever heard of it once. But it was in passing and when we were at the tomb it did not seem to have much of a bearing on anything. It was not even set with the other six. It was on its own little slab further inside."

Yugi bit his lip. A surge of frustration swept through him and he struggled to keep from snapping out in growing bitterness. That hardly told him anything. But then…perhaps the placement of it meant something? Was that possible?

"Do you know why it would have been?"

"I don't. if I would have expected anything to be separated, I would have assumed it to be the Puzzle. It is far too powerful for me to ever imagine another Item matching it."

 _A powerful Item for a terrible god and a reckless child…_

He squeezed his eyes shut tightly for a moment.

"But perhaps it is possible that it is just as powerful?" He was scrambling, trying to make Yugi feel better despite their obvious lack of knowledge. Sugoroku felt stupid for doing so. Guessing games were probably the least beneficial thing to exist between the two of them. Yugi might appreciate the efforts, but he would most likely find nothing useful in them. "I don't know entirely, but I would assume there would be some kind of reason for it to be set apart from the others, Yugi."

Yugi blinked his eyes open into slits, looking for a moment like a lost and confused child. He looked as old as Sugoroku imagined Yami to be. But he looked weakened and distressed, wearied to the point that he was too exhausted to care for appearance. He seemed almost to fold into himself for the briefest of moments. He drew in a deep breath as he gazed through his narrow blue-violet eyes.

"But the Puzzle…was with the others?"

It was a shaky question, barely audible despite the silence of the room.

Sugoroku shifted uncomfortably in his seat, frowning faintly and shivering at the way his blue-violet eyes glittered in front of him. "It was in the center and the other five made a shape similar to an ankh around it. One on top, one below, two flanking that, and one further down. Arthur and I couldn't figure out what it was until we saw the Ankh above the Puzzle."

Yugi breathed out quiet, a rough noise despite his weariness. He swallowed hard. "Okay." Briefly he ran his tongue over his split lip where his teeth had torn the skin and the flesh was welling up with bright red. "But you think there has to be a _reason_ why the Ring was separated from the others?"

"Yugi, there is a reason for _everything_ as far as the Items are concerned. There is no state of coincidence as far as their magic is considered. There is no injustice or failure of consequence with them."

Yugi found his entire body was locking in place. The pain rippled through his system as his muscles rebelled. His spine tightened and heated beneath his skin. He swallowed hard. "W-what kind of consequences?" he breathed out, blinking slowly. His mind was racing now, full of dark and unwanted horrors that he did not want to dwell on. His fingers tapped a rapid, awkward rhythm on the table. "Are you talking about everyone on the team dying but you and Arthur?"

Sugoroku watched him for a long minute, unsure of which response would do the best for him. He thought to perhaps suggest that they leave the conversation be. But one look into the other's eyes said that such a response would be a monumental mistake. Yugi would lash out and demand answers and things would be shattered and broken between them.

He wanted answers as desperately as desired Yami being near him. The thought was somewhat alarming but he could not fathom the bond that they shared. Yami hated him and Yugi, poor sweet Yugi, his grandson…he was still trying despite his clear knowledge of that as well.

He drew in a deep breath, then exhaled loudly and closed his eyes. "I am not sure that Yami truly knows this, or perhaps he does and simply doesn't care," Sugoroku admitted quietly, frowning to himself as he struggled to pick out the right words to explain. "But when we were in that tomb, a trap was sprung. Arthur and I were both thrown into a pitfall trap."

Yugi tilted his head, furrowing his brows as the elderly Motou paused. He remembered his grandpa stretching this story. He had made it something a long-winded phenomenon. He had probably made it several times more involved that it actually had been. It was by far more for his entertainment back then, when he was young enough to appreciate such exaggerations and stories which rivaled the plots of monster movies…

"But, before either of us could fall, the Puzzle began to react." He opened his eyes to see the puzzled expression on his grandson's face. The way he considered his words was with rapt attention but a mild touch of skepticism as well. He frowned, studying him in response, but did not offer more than his experience from eight years prior. "The spikes beneath us began to shatter and the floor began to close in on itself. It allowed us to climb back out again."

Yugi shook his head after a long minute, staring at him blankly. Then he furrowed his brows and frowned at him.

"And…why would Yami know that exactly?" _Why would he even care_? "From what he's told me he was in the Shadow Realm until I completed the Puzzle and it dragged him here."

There was a long moment of hesitation and the small teen straightened slightly. A sensation of bitterness began to swell in his belly. Was his grandfather hiding something from him? His silence at the moment made Yugi bristle faintly, his muscles tightening despite the pain. It seemed very likely this conversation would lead to such a truth and his eyes narrowed in growing frustration. He had not told him formerly of the magic the Puzzle possessed. He had not explained the possibility of the consequences which might come about from his messing with it.

He had, without a second thought, treated it as a game. He had carelessly pawned it off to an eight-year-old boy. And he had known. He had _known_ that it was _dangerous_ , that its magic _altered and destroyed lives_. He had handed a _weapon_ to someone, not once with the desire to both to consider differently.

"I assumed that he might know about the Puzzle." The words were stale on Sugoroku's tongue and they sounded mildly incredulous as they looked at each other. The bitterness swelled further, grew to a more immense amount, but Yugi stilled his tongue. He pressed it against the roof of his mouth and drew in a deep breath through his nose. It might not be important. He hoped to the _gods_ that it was not an important detail which he dared to hold back from him like this. "Well, regardless, when Arthur and I went to the tablet, the stone pulsated with energy. It was a warning, I believe, but where it physically harmed Arthur and sent him flying, it did not truly touch me."

The teenager narrowed his eyes further, considering. When Yami touched the Puzzle he was hit with heavy backlash. It was painful and nearly sent him to his knees. It did not harm him, however. But it was terrible and burned his skin as if he were touching a live flame. But it did not harm him further and Yami seemed to often recover without a second's notice.

It was only when Yugi was holding it that the Puzzle _truly_ lashed out. Should they both touch it, it would strike outwards to inflict pain. He had witnessed it in his room not too long ago.

And the lesson had stuck with him. It was a terrible reality to behold.

Yami had nearly screamed in pain. He had almost dropped to his knees with overwhelming agony. The intensity had almost knocked the air from his lungs. And, because of this, not once had Yugi ever considered suggesting it a second time.

When he had dropped the Puzzle, a piece had dislodged itself. The fragmentation had caused Yami far more pain than the initial attack of magic. But the truth still remained the same—Yami and the Puzzle did not connect. They could not mix.

Yugi himself, however, was okay to hold it. He could hold it in his hands and wear it for hours without a single retaliation to be given. But to offer to allow the other to touch it meant far more pain than he was willing to ever even _consider_ putting him through.

"I believe the Puzzle knew that I would bring it to you. I think that is the only reason I survived and I think my friendship with Arthur is the only thing that kept him alive after the expedition." He paused, then fell silent for a moment. Yugi stared at him, expression blank beyond the rapid shadows which had built in his gaze. "I think if we had not been as close as we were, the tomb would have swallowed him up."

He would not have thought much of his words if he had not been trying his hardest to find answers. Realization struck him so forcefully that his breath caught. The small teen stiffened, unable to contain the growing horror. His stomach tossed violently to the side, distress burning through his limbs.

"You're talking about it like it's a living thing, Grandpa," he whispered. Desperately, his mind hoped against itself that he was reminding the elderly Motou that it was inanimate object. Surely then he would change his words. But the look on Sugoroku's face spoke otherwise and Yugi felt his breath growing tight and harsh in his lungs.

"It's a weapon, Yugi. It is not living itself, but the magic inside of it is. And it chooses to lash out. It chooses to save and protect or punish and destroy those which stand in its way. It is a weapon with living magic and a volatile nature with no understanding of the destruction it causes."

Yugi blinked at him. Then he drew his lip into his mouth and bit down hard enough that he flinched as he released it again. The movement caused his muscles to jerk and he hissed in displeasure as he shook it off. "So when it lashes out at Yami?" he demanded in a somewhat shaky tone. "Yami is connected to it, so why the fuck does it do that to him?"

Sugoroku blinked in surprise, startled by the vulgar words leaving his mouth. But he realized as well, had Yugi not felt so strongly, he would never have said a word in such a manner. He looked away and cleared his throat roughly, staring at the floor next to him. "Because, I believe…if Yami were to be able to truly hold it in his hands for longer than seconds, he could potentially take that magic. And I do not know what exactly might happen if he could absorb such power."

Yugi blinked, bristling now. His eyes were blazing.

"You must remember that the Egyptians created these magics with the purpose of locking souls away, banishing threats within their knowledge… Yami is already a god—and a volatile, unstable one at that. Imagine his power doubled or tripled, so strong that it could reverse the very fabrics of time and existence itself." He drew in a deep breath, still resisting the urge to look at his grandson again. He could feel the rage coming from the small teen in waves. He did not have to see it to know it was there. " _That_ is what the Egyptians thought themselves to have locked away in their pharaoh's tomb so long ago. And with a violent god whose own morals exist only to empower himself? I do not think that would bode well."

Yugi shook his head violently, spitting in rage. "But it _brought him here_! It fucking dragged him out of the _Shadow Realm_ and released him _here_! It gave him a body and magic! And then it lashes out and attacks him when he's too close to it? I don't understand how that makes any sense!" He scowled, infuriated, and wanted for the briefest of seconds to slam his fist into the table in outrage. "I don't…I don't understand…"

"Yugi…" He glanced up at him, sighing quietly. "You didn't make a wish when you completed the Puzzle. On the box is an inscription that says to the one to complete it the powers of the darkness are to be given. If you consider it, Yami is like the living embodiment of the darkness. And the Puzzle was once his vessel, if only for the smallest of seconds between creating his body. His connection with it…I don't believe that it is or ever was meant to be an ongoing thing."

" _Huh_?"

"I think that it was simply the vehicle to bring him here and now that it has, it is meant to protect _you_ against what could potentially destroy everything this world has to offer."

He bristled furiously, sitting up straighter. "You say that like Yami doesn't know anything! But he's not stupid, Grandpa. He knows how to hold himself back. He knows how to handle his temper. He knows all of the things that would make someone lesser completely self-destruct." He shook his head sharply, pausing for the briefest of seconds. "I don't understand this at all, Grandpa. He shouldn't be punished just for my mistakes."

"But it wasn't a mistake, was it?"

"What?" he spat, eyes blazing. "I never meant to bring him here—"

"But you meant to finish the Puzzle."

Yugi stopped short, startled by the presumption. He stared at him blankly, eyes wide. What? He had meant to complete it, yes…but if he had known what would have come from it? He would never have put his grubby fucking paws on it in the first place!

His grandpa had known that something would happen with it. He had known from the moment he had brought it home. And he had _kept that secret from him_. He had only finished it because his grandpa had been sick.

He had wanted to keep it as a memento if something should ever happen to him.

He had _not_ meant to unleash some unholy _god_!

Yugi struggled to find his breath for a moment. He wanted nothing more than to snarl at him that he had not told him. He wanted to point his finger, to sneer at him. He wanted to _remind him_ that he had _never thought_ to open his mouth to _warn him_ of such consequences. Not once had he ever _bothered_.

There was not a single force in the world that would have been capable of forcing him to believe it was right to do this. To bring an _undeniable threat_ into his world _and_ imprison said creature in a fate that he did not desire.

There was _nothing_.

"The magic has no true logic, Yugi. It simply did as it was meant to. It granted you a form of power and protection that it itself could not give you. Yami was dragged into existence to make sure you were guarded as its wearer."

"Guarded? From _what_? _What the fuck is it supposed to be guarding me from_?"

Sugoroku shook his head slowly. "That is something I do not know."

The small boy opened his mouth to snarl at him that he didn't seem to know anything but then halted. A crashing wave of icy fear ripped through him. Was it the Ring? Was the Puzzle meant to protect him from the Ring? Was Yami just a simple bystander who had been caught in the middle, a god with a purpose that no one had an understanding of, dragged there to play the buffer?

"…I wish he could kill me."

He had not realized he had said such out loud until his grandfather jumped, horrified, and stared at him with a stunned expression. " _What_?"

"I did this to him. He… For all I know, Grandpa, the Puzzle brought in an innocent god to play games with and force to protect me!" He shook his head, spitting his words in frustration. "Yami wants nothing more than to kill me anyways. He's said so multiple times… And he deserves to be able to…"

The elderly Motou stared at him in pure horror, too stunned to truly speak for a long minute. "If he were to kill you, I think the punishment would be astronomical. He might want to do that, but I do not think he would wish such pain upon himself in retribution." He paused, studying him as Yugi scowled at him in annoyance. "Yugi, what do you remember of the Shadow Realm?"

The small boy scoffed. "I don't remember that many stories about it. You told me something about it being an endless place, with darkness and pain everywhere. You said it was meant to break whatever it is that existed there."

"Yes. One trapped there is said to be tortured until their soul ceases form and breaks into shards that are scattered about within the place. It is a type of hell, I suppose, where one is eventually erased from existence entirely, forgotten by all and any connected to them, and their soul is never to be constructed again. It is an eternal punishment, something that no one can fight."

The small boy shook his head, narrowing his eyes. "Yami survived it."

"Yes, but at what cost? Does he honestly remember anything? Does he honestly seem nearly as powerful to you as he should be?" the elderly Motou said with a shake of his head as his grandson studied him and realization began to creep through his expression as his words continued. "And his condition seems to be worsening rapidly now as it is, Yugi."

The teenager snarled, glaring at him. "And it will only get harder and harder for him to survive it as time goes on!" Yugi paused, falling silent for a long minute as he watched him and considered his grandpa's earlier statement. "But why is he…? I don't understand. I don't understand how he could be punished. I just… He seems so powerful as it is and the idea that he might…"

His grandpa frowned slightly, tilting his head as he puzzled over his words.

"Maybe I'm just…biased or something—because I've _seen_ him—but I do not really think anyone could be more powerful than him. I honestly can't fathom it."

Sugoroku blinked, unsure of what more to say for a long minute. "You could be right, Yugi. He might be the most powerful god in existence. He might also be the weakest. If you consider it, he could conceivably be anything from powerless to the strongest creature ever to exist. I don't have an answer for that. But I do agree, he tends to be far more powerful than I think could be maintained by another god."

His grandson blinked at him, then shook his head and winced at the pain that came across his shoulders at the action. In his anger, he had failed to notice how the reaction was making his skin ache. He shivered. "I don't get it."

"Maybe it is one of those things that he must discover for himself and you are not meant to know."

His anger returned rapidly, a pulsating burst of frustration that lingered somewhere on the border of absolute hatred and loathing. "He's been dragged here, he's been attacked by the Puzzle, he's weakening, and I shouldn't be looking for answers? Are you _seriously_ telling me that right now?" he spat furiously.

"Of course not!" he objected, shaking his head and frowning at him. "But you also have to understand that perhaps he deserves his privacy. More than anyone else."

The teenager blinked, his frustration beginning to dissipate for a moment. Yami did deserve his privacy. It was terrible enough that his own mind was so much louder than the other's and so he was forced to hear his thoughts no matter where he went in Japan. It was bad enough that they shared emotions, that what one felt the other got in waves as well. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.

Yami considered him such a massive threat because of this. He understood that. In his situation, he realized he might share that thought. And to expose the weakness of not holding the knowledge he needed was a move that could easily get him killed by someone else. Whether he learned more about himself or not, perhaps he should not question him on that. He might be curious, but maybe Yami should keep such things to himself…

"Yugi, I cannot give you all of the answers. If it were a possibility, I would. But I don't know everything about the Puzzle or Yami or the other Items. All I know is what I have told you. And most of that is theoretical as well. None of it is complete fact."

He blinked his eyes open, feeling small and defeated now. "I need some way to help him. Because I don't know how and he's only getting hurt more and more because of me. I don't…I don't know if I can deal with this. I told him that I would never hurt him and this is happening… He blames it on me. He hasn't said it out loud yet, not exactly, but I know he does. He looks at me as if I mean to kill him sometimes." He blinked again, opening and closing his mouth as a small sensation of horror swept through him at his own words. His grandpa didn't need to know these things. He didn't need to share such information with him. "I…I need to get to school… Fuck, I don't even know where he is…"


	6. Chapter VI

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Yu-Gi-Oh!**

 **Warning: So, the same as last time. The cursing should be relatively mild but grows a little more at times, Season 0 Yami whose a bit more unhinged in this story than he was in _Behind You_ , so keep that in mind.**

 **Note: There are various/copious mentions of blood, some graphic images of death, sensual moments and feelings, touches of violence/abuse, slight OOCness but it's due to stress (and it's mostly going to be from Yugi whose going to suffer pretty badly where Yami is involved and choices he makes in order to help Yami), slight touches of depression, possible triggers**

 **Update Schedule: I'm going to try (again) for bi-weekly updates**

 **All right, so my excuse for such a late update? Work, typing up and editing STB, outlining a couple of other works, and just overall being tired and losing motivation for a lot of things. Anyways, though, I AM going to try to get back on track with this story and its updates again too. Wish me luck.**

 **Guest: That review made my day. And also really reminded me to get my ass in gear and start editing this chapter for posting again. Thank you so much for that. I'm glad you enjoy it so much though (even if it's difficult to keep up with the plot sometimes)~**

Chapter VI

Yugi stepped around the corner without a second glance. His bag felt unusually heavy and his head was drooping with exhaustion. The lack of sleep had not done him well. His separation from Yami was bearing on him even more than it had seemed to the day before. He rubbed at his eye.

And then he felt it.

The tiniest twitch of tension came upon his muscles. And a siren blared in his ears. But his mind was reeling. What could have possibly caused it? He wanted to turn around and look. But the impact this realization held upon his body was that of running. But he knew all too readily that it was too late.

His head was spinning again.

He yelled out in a panic as he was catapulted through the air. He had barely felt their hands. He couldn't fully process it. But he hit the ground on his stomach. A groan left him breathless. He squeezed his eyes shut. Then another instinct lashed out at him. Taking heed, Yugi swiftly rolled away.

The shoe came crashing into his ribs. He cried out sharply. A bone cracked. The noise echoed in his ears.

If it had impacted his back, his spine would have been broken.

He sputtered. Blood filled his mouth. His ribs ached and pulsed. His stomach curled and twisted inside of him. He swallowed another mouthful of blood. He blinked stupidly. Then Yugi drew his eyes upwards. His body moved impulsively to pull himself away. He needed distance from the threat. He needed to—

Oh gods…

He opened and closed his mouth.

Ryou stood before him. He was tall, towering over him so effectively that it took his breath away. His eyes were harsh and glittering. He leered down at him, his long hair shadowing his face drastically. His teeth glinted as he drew his lips back slightly.

His canine looked unusually sharp.

The Ring was hanging over the clothing of his school uniform.

His eyes were furious.

His lips curled back further. Yugi nearly flinched. Ryou stepped closer. His sneaker was close to his side. The smaller teen scrambled for purchase to twist away. But the movement jarred his ribs. And he could not catch his breath…

"Was it _you_?"

Yugi looked up at him, startled. A sense of horror came through him. What was he talking about?

" _Well_? Was it _you_ , you stupid fucking _brat_?"

His voice was harsh and cold, beyond anything Ryou's had ever seemed capable of. It was deeper, nastier. Something about it sounded almost _eternal_. Yugi felt as if he were being encompassed by hatred. His voice was so cruel that it soaked into his skin and tried to swim within his bloodstream. There something intense and hateful, terrible in the way that it made his body freeze.

His lungs seemed to have collapsed in on themselves as they stared at one another. Ryou watched him with brilliant, glittering eyes the color of bruised flesh. Yugi blinked at him. Then he struggled to regain his most primal of instincts. If he could find some way to flee, he would have to do so now. He drew in a deep breath.

His lungs flared at his ribs threatened to burst.

Yugi blinked again.

Yami hit harder, he reminded him. Yami hit a million times harder. He could beat him to death if he only tried. He had done so with Ushio, he knew. Even without the Shadow Game to help him, he _knew_ that Yami had beaten him.

But this bastard in front of him—he'd been tapping into the deity's strength. He could sense it. There was something in his aura that burned his skin with familiarity. His mind was not light and fuzzy as he felt when Yami was close. But it was similar.

And he'd sent Yugi flying with that simple shove. He shouldn't have been able to do that. Unless they were unnatural. Unless they were borrowing strength. Unless they were the reason Yami was so weak…

He moved to press his fingers into the nasty grip of the asphalt. "What do you mean…?" he finally managed. He was struggling to breathe again. Yugi tasted blood so sharply it threatened to make him choke. He swallowed hard. He hoped to smother the pain. But it kept coming. It crashed and tore through him.

He wanted nothing more than to swallow his own tongue. He wanted to choke to death. The liquid drizzled slowly down his skin, in small thin rivulets along the corner of his face. He could feel it, the heat of the sticky liquid. His cheek was scraped and sore. His temple pulsated with livid pain.

The edges of his vision had become fuzzy. Little splotches of white and black filled his peripheral.

"You _healed_ him." The figure looming over him leaned forward. He snarled softly, viciously. Ryou's face twisted hideously. He did not bother to crouch, however. Instead he bore his teeth in further irritation. "You managed to heal him somehow. His strength has come _back_! He managed to steal _my_ energy!"

"What?" Yugi hissed, unsure of what he could be saying. The words refused to connect properly in his mind. He blinked at him again. He was almost certain that he had heard him wrong.

But every part of him was truly hopeful that he had. If Yami had siphoned energy from them, then that was just one step closer, right? They would be able to figure it out. They would be able to survive it. But _how_ was it that he had managed such a feat?

The spiteful laughter threatened to bubble out of him. He had the momentary impulse to spit at him, to guffaw. It was liberating. The realization made him feel slightly warm. The deity could have found something of a loophole. He could soon be able to reverse the entire situation. He could save himself.

But the elation was gone in an instant. It dissipated as if it had never come to pass. His body was tense. His frame was wracked with a soft tremor. Oh gods, he was going to die in the same alley as Ushio.

This…this _leech_ was going to kill him. He was going to do just as Yami had the mammoth of a boy. He would show only brutality and revel in such bloodshed. He would do just as Yami loved to.

He swallowed away some blood again. His tongue felt thick. A hand moved from the ground to brace his ribs lightly. The bones ached, bruised and split. His skin pulsed painfully. The heat seemed to burn his fingers. He braced himself. Every muscle in his body tensed once more. He drew in a deep breath. He ignored the way his vision swam for a brief second.

He would have to catch him first.

If he wanted to kill him, he would have to _catch him first_.

Even in his weakened state and suffering as Yami was, Yugi would not allow this _thing_ wearing Ryou's face to kill him without at least _some_ kind of fight. Consequences be damned, the only one he would allow to end his life without a fight would be Yami. Yami was the only one Yugi would simply step back and allow him to lash out so violently.

He _owed_ him that much.

And he owed this bastard in front of him _nothing_.

"It _was_ you," the other snarled softly. He leaned forward again, his nose wrinkling. When he breathed out, it reminded Yugi of a snorting bull. He appeared so animalistic that the small teen was slightly shaken. "I smell him on you."

"And I smell blood."

Yugi stared in shock. At first he did not know what had been said. The words stunned him. It floored him completely. He could not think straight. All he could see was something he had not expected.

The silver-haired boy had gone flying. A loud echoing pop sounded in the alley. The thud of the body shocked him. Yugi blinked again. The air had rushed from his lungs. The noise was a hideous bark. The amusement was hideous in his veins. The dead air seemed to vibrate with noise for a second. He blinked again, looking over. The being was not moving.

But, by the gods, there was no pain to be shared from this discovery.

Yugi turned his head immediately to Yami. His bloodied mouth curved into a weak smile. His eyes had brightened, he knew. He parted his lips to speak. But his lungs seemed to collapsed. The words died in his throat. The deity had moved. He was reacting only to Yugi's movements. The realization was somewhat bewildering.

Shouldn't he have been paying more attention to the threat?

Yet, Yami was in front of him now. He was crouched so low as to kneel before him. But Yugi could see that his knees did not touch the ground. He didn't know why this thought was so important to him. That realization was almost disturbing. But it made some kind of bizarre sense in the back of his mind.

Because none of the deity's actions now made the slightest hint of sense.

His long fingers had reached forward. The soft, cold skin was touching his face. It such a gossamer touch that it made Yugi shiver. The small teen's body jolted with the sensation. He should have flinched, but held himself still instead. Instead the fingers ran along his cheek. There, they rubbed persistently.

Yugi winced at the sensation. The other boy blinked. But they both felt the way the gravel dug and then fell away. Yugi reached up now. His hands, shaking and tired, caught the sides of his palms. The deity did not still, nor did he blink. There was no pause to his movements.

He continued to wipe at the gravel in his skin. The touch was anything but harsh. But it was not entirely gentle, either. The muscles beneath his skin flexed gently. His fingers were soft and warming from exposure to his cheek. Yugi could feel the frail strength in his hands, even as his fingers finally stilled.

Yami paused, almost as if he could not fathom doing more. Then he stretched his hands again. Yugi kept them there, touching his own. It was somehow invigorating to him now. The realization that Yami was truly there was overwhelming. He had come back to help him. He hadn't run as he had when he and this parasite had initially crossed paths.

He wanted to thank him. He wanted to sob and hold him. He wanted to press against him until they seemed to melt together. But the impulse died.

Yami had turned his attention elsewhere. His fingers brushed his ribs. Yugi flinched backwards, pulling away completely. The movement jostled him. He breathed out hard. Then he reached again, hands shaking harder, and grasped his shoulder. He was not sure that Yami would care for the reaction. He was ready for him to sneer or snarl. He was ready for him to knock his hand away.

But the deity did not speak.

Yami regarded him in silence for a moment. His eyes searched his for a moment, sharp and cunning. They burned and danced for the briefest of seconds. Then, slowly, he rose to his feet. His fingers slid beneath Yugi's palm, light and soft like ice, and their digits briefly threaded as he removed his hand gently from his shoulder.

Yugi struggled to pull himself into a better upright position. He reached for the wall beside him. His fingernails gripped so hard at the brick that they split and cracked. The deity turned to him again. But there was no help to be offered. The smaller teen gasped and panted. His lungs squeezed in his chest and his throat felt swollen. He dragged his knees further beneath him.

Then he pressed his palm further into the asphalt to give himself leverage. Yugi gasped and ached, shivering again. Yami watched him with a distant expression. Yugi was wracked with a violent tremor before gently propping himself back onto his haunches. He couldn't get to his feet yet.

His eyes were hooded as he continued to struggle for breath.

There was no way he could move more.

There was no way he could get up.

He opened his eyes into slits, face beaded with sweat. His gaze flickered to the god again. He shivered, breathing heavily and wincing every other second. He saw Yami simply peering at him. But he realized why he did not move to help him. There was no help he could offer.

Because he did not know _how_.

And they both knew he risked hurting him further if he moved carelessly.

And what would that do to him?

Yugi blinked his eyes open again. Then he turned his head. The deity continued to stare at him. His red eyes were frosty and cold. But the anger in his gaze was not directed towards him, further proven when his head snapped around and Yami bared his teeth.

"You _dare_ touch something that belongs to _me_?" he hissed furiously.

Ryou's body had begun to climb to its feet now. He seemed slightly dazed but infuriated as well. When he straightened, the bones popped in his shoulders. There was such raw strength to the motion that Yugi quivered. The onslaught of movement made his breath tighter. His lungs burned and his ribs ached. Slowly those blue-violet eyes flickered between Yami and this other being.

A sickening feeling began to swell in his bones.

What if Yami got hurt further?

He knew Yami felt the pain just as keenly as Yugi himself did…

"Yours?" the boy spat, echoing his words with something of a mystified edge. His lips curled back. The measure of his smirk was so unnatural that it jarred Yugi's senses completely. His violet eyes were glowing, glittering, as he looked at the two look-alike teenagers. "Does that mean that you have no intentions to share? It seems a miracle that this scrawny human has somehow managed to give you the chance to take _my_ energy."

 _What is he talking about, Yami_?

"That energy is mine," the deity spat, eyes flashing dangerously like the edges of sharpened knives. He tipped his chin up slightly, lips curling back to display his sharp canines. He ignored the quizzical look on Yugi's face, framed in his peripheral, and snarled low in his throat. "And how it should find its way to me is something you will never know."

"He made contact with human vessel yesterday at the school. Somehow your little brat stole that energy and handed it back to you," the other snarled. His violet eyes fell briefly on Yugi. The look in his gaze was full of disgust and hatred. But their focus on him lasted only a moment. Immediately, as if remembering himself, the silver-haired male's eyes shot to the angered god in front of him.

It was clear that he knew the threat the deity posed. His loss of strength did nothing to make Yami less. Should the deity be given the idea and determination to do so, Yugi knew as well as this creature that Yami _would_ kill him. He was a primary danger which could not be overlooked. Intimidating Yugi would have to be put aside.

His purple eyes bore into Yami's challenging him directly. The red-eyed teen bristled as his shoulders rose. His lips drew back further to show each of his teeth once more. His gums were looked like ink in the dark. A thin eyebrow rose slowly in amusement. "Do I have it right?"

"He had nothing to do with it." Yami stepped forward, pushing him to keep his eyes on the god. The action was so startling for the other that they nearly stepped back. Yugi panted as quietly as he could, trying not to make any noise that might disrupt his listening. He realized, somewhere in the back of his mind, that Yami was doing the best he could to allow him room to get to his feet. The distraction forced him to keep his eyes off the small teen. So Yugi kept his chipped nails against the stone and struggled to pull himself to his feet. His legs wavered and buckled but he caught himself in time to hear Yami say, "I did it."

"Bullshit. You were never clear enough to do so before that brat made contact with my vessel," the other being bit out. His eyes flashed again, hideous and hateful. The air seemed to vibrate with the dangerous tone of voice, the ground almost shaking beneath their feet from the touch of power. "And you will never gain such intelligence as to match my wits."

Yami cast a sideways glance at Yugi when the small boy huffed out loud at the comment. But the smaller boy did not bother to look at Yami or the other being. His head was still lowered. His teeth were grit together. His jaw was clenched. There was sweat rolling off his pale skin. His thin shoulders were wracked with painful shudders.

But, somehow, he had still managed to make such a snide noise. It was only as the smaller teen pressed his weight into the wall and lifted his head that Yami found himself shaken. Something inside of him was stricken by the sight of his pain, startling him. The reality of this made his eyes widen in surprise.

The human glanced at him. At first the action was dismissive. And then his eyes grew wide, as if he were stunned to see him looking at him. It burned to remember his lack of commitment to this small teen next to him. No wonder he was so surprised to see him watching. But then his cheeks colored and Yami felt his jaw clench for a moment. He was still so pale. The color had done almost nothing to his face whatsoever.

Yami had the smallest impulse to flinch as their gazes held for a moment longer.

Was Yugi dying?

He knew the pain was intense but surely…?

He turned back, baring his teeth. Then it was best to simply end this quickly, was it not?

"I have adapted, as is the key to survival," he replied in a low, dangerous tone. He narrowed his eyes, angling his body just enough to engulf the space that would have allowed the other to truly face Yugi. He could not allow him to see more of his weakness there. "Risks are to be taken, adaptations are forced to be acquired, and sacrifices must be offered. As such, I have gained the knowledge that I sought."

"You have no idea the power I possess."

" _I possess the power_!" Yami snarled, eyes flashing like embers in the dark. His voice crackled around the edges, as if laced with electricity. The very rumble of his hateful voice had become that of distant thunder in the heavens. The air was shaking and the very core of his words seemed to swell within both Yugi's and Ryou's bodies.

The deity was rigid, angered to the point of a statuesque feature of ferocity. But it was the hideous crackling noise that made Yugi flinch violently. He cowered against the wall and nearly folded in on himself in pain. There was a burning, hideous, sizzling and crackling of which Yugi had only heard a handful of times before. His head rose just slightly.

In the corner of his eye he could see it as a bolt of bright, vibrant sapphire blue burst forward and across the alleyway. It struck upwards, towards the sky, in a sharp diagonal current of energy. The ground shook and wobbled as if the earth were vibrating once more. Then another rod of lightning, bright red and hissing with anger, crisscrossed that of the blue.

"I am a _god_!"

The silver-haired being gaped at him for a long moment. The sight was enough to make Yugi blink in shock. Those dark purple eyes had become wide saucers of coffee brown, so dark they almost seemed black in the dark. Yugi peered at him, confused, unsure of himself.

Did he see him correctly?

Or was he simply undone by the power that the deity was displaying?

He blinked slowly. Then he struggled to focus on him again. But nothing had changed. His eyes still seemed to be dark brown. Yugi wanted for a moment to say something, to perhaps to speak out, but then his thoughts halted entirely.

A pulse formed in the side of his temple, behind his right eye. He shook his head and reached up to rub at it gently.

The figure turned tail. Yami watched as they disappeared around the corner in mere seconds. The sight bewildered him for only a moment. Then he pushed it aside with a blink and turned his head. His expression was somewhat puzzled, Yugi saw. His eyes were even slightly undone by the easiness of his tactic. The deity tilted his head slightly.

The jagged forks of color were long gone. The crackling in Yugi's ears died more slowly, the cold air seemingly swallowing it away. For several long moments they peered at one another. The taller teen furrowed his brows. The simplicity of it all had clearly shaken him. And then, finally, the deity began to move forward a step.

"Your lung has been punctured." It sounded strange to them both to hear such words leaving his mouth. But neither commented and Yugi found himself overwhelmed with keen relief as Yami continued towards him. The deity looked almost regal once more, though that weariness still plagued his features. As he studied him and drew closer, he could see his red eyes seemed intense and troubled. "I can hear it bleeding from over here. I have no knowledge of how I should mend it."

"I need to get to the hospital."

There was a brief moment of incomprehension which bloomed upon Yami's handsome face. He seemed incredibly stricken by the very concept. The idea almost seemed to burn away whatever hint of calm he might have had. Then he blinked, his eyes darkening and glistening faintly. He came another step closer, his expression melting into one of growing bewilderment. "Can you they do that?" he finally inquired. His eyes flickered and searched Yugi's for a long moment as he tilted his head slightly. "Can they truly mend your lung? They cannot give your second whore her sight back…"

Yugi felt his eyes widen, first with shock and then with laughter. Yami didn't trust the ability of a staff of doctors or surgeons when they could not simply save Serenity's eyes. The fact made Yami bristle at the mere thought of placing him in their care with such a serious wound.

But he was also using the usual terms he did for Tea and Serenity whenever they were brought into conversation. He shook his head, lips tugging up slightly. He was not sure why it was that he found it so amusing to hear him say this now. The roll of his eyes made the pain bloom in each inch of his body, but he ignored it.

"Yes, they can fix it," he said firmly, hoping that his tone would do him well to keep Yami from arguing with him. "And Serenity is _not_ a w—"

The movement alerted him first.

Yugi's eyes shot quickly past Yami's shoulder.

His entire body stiffened.

He let out a cry.

But Yami responded a heartbeat too late.

It was as if he were watching in slow motion. But it was all happening miles ahead of his comprehension. His very vision itself seemed to see in small snippets and quick bursts. And yet, by some miracle, his sluggish and wary mind absorbed it all.

There was a flash of blue. Yami spun quickly. Something caught him around the throat. He twisted violently in front of him. Whatever demon it was that wore Ryou's face clung to his back. The brown eyes were half-rimmed with dark purple. The pair of them was glowing in a hideous fashion, like light within the fog. His lips were pulled back in a sneer. His teeth were bared near Yami's throat. His fingers were digging into his collarbones.

The deity's eyes flashed angrily. He glanced at the being from the corner of his eye. Then he slammed himself into the wall. His body twisted at the last second. Ryou's body hit the wall with such force a bone cracked. The cry that left his lungs was loud and low, terrible where it ripped from his throat.

Yugi watched a boot catch Ryou beneath the ribs. His body was sent somersaulting through the air. He landed in an almost lifeless heap. The smaller teen was stunned. Yami, however, was satisfied as he smirked widely. Yugi looked from the threat to the deity. The expression the red-eyed boy wore could only be described as bloodthirsty, fierce and pleased.

His blue-violet eyes flickered away again. The white-haired boy was lying on his stomach. He was completely frozen in place there. Yugi stared blankly, wondering at the sight. Was he breathing? Had Yami killed him when he'd kicked him like that?

 _It serves him right_ , a traitorous voice snarled within his mind. He flinched. Yami glanced at him sideways, confused. Yugi looked incredibly stricken, both emotionally and physically. The exhaustion seemed to make his eyes darker. The strain of his punctured lung was weighing on them both. Yami could feel its phantom pain where his left lung seemed to open and collapse every few seconds. But Yugi was shivering, staring at the prone body even as his body threatened to collapse beneath him. The sweat was coming in waves, harsh and salty to his nose when he breathed in.

 _Nothing constitutes murder_ , Yugi argued with himself. His body seized with a brilliant burst of pain. But he wondered if perhaps it would be easier for him to turn a blind eye to this. Maybe he could simply ignore it or perhaps try to find himself looking elsewhere. If Yami were to kill him, was it not to be counted as self-defense?

It was, wasn't it?

Ryou was housing some kind of creature that was sucking the energy from him. And Yami needed his energy or else he would perish.

So, maybe…?

Yugi tried for a moment to stomach this idea. Then his body shook again in a cold shiver as he shook his head slightly. No, nothing would make that better.

Yami passed through his line of vision now. He was padding effortlessly towards the body. His simplistic action made Yugi blink with wide eyes. The toe of his boot was all Yugi could focus on as Yami kicked Ryou onto his back. The body seemed to fall limply back into place there. He was spread-eagled, a small smear of blood on his face along the edge of his lips.

Yugi blinked again, shivering. He wasn't truly dead, was he?

There was no way…

The deity crouched beside him. It looked for a second as if he was going to check for his pulse. But his hands had taken different positions on the sides of his head. His fingers were digging nails into his pale skin. His throat had begun to dark with pinpricks of red. He thought of Joey, lying beneath him, as he went to tear his head off…

He almost wanted to cheer him on. Maybe it would fix a couple of their problems. But his gut was churning and his heart was racing. And the breaths he struggled to take in were bursting and aching in his chest. He panted, then froze.

 _Fuck_.

"Stop! Yami, _stop_!"

The deity's head snapped around, startled by the outburst. His red eyes were wide with surprise. Yugi opened his mouth to plead, though he did not know what to say. He opened and closed his mouth twice, then shook his head. His heart was in his throat. Yami stared back at him blankly. The body beneath him squirmed suddenly. Long limbs flailed and kicked. Yami pivoted, driving his knee into his chest. The action made Ryou gasp and gape at him with wide eyes.

Yami tipped his head to the side, watching him. The boy looked small and stupid. His fingers retained their grip as he stared at Yugi blankly. His eyes narrowed further, blinking at the smaller boy lazily. Then his lips curled back.

"If this is to do with your desire to avoid the sight of my killing—"

"No, Yami, it's not that at all!" he managed to gasp out. He pushed himself off the wall and nearly fell onto the pavement. But he held himself upright by some miracle, wincing as he gasped for breath and swallowed hard. "It's—it's _Ryou_!"

He blinked at him as if he were stupid. "Yes, this is Ryou's body—"

"No—it's… _Ryou_ ," he sputtered, stressing the name. Yugi could barely breathe properly, opening and closing his mouth again. His body shook with terrible tremors, his body riveted with pain. His breathing was too tight to maintain for more than mere seconds. He stared at him and his tongue ached when it brushed against his teeth. He shivered again. His hand flailed in a pathetic motion. His sight was becoming splotched with black and white and little splatters of gray and blue. The pain was bursting in his system more fervently. "I mean, the—whatever the fuck it was, it's _gone_!"

There was a long second of incomprehension. Yugi's words were too choked and almost completely inaudible. They were gurgling, a babble of noise that faded abruptly. There were so many long spaces between each word as well… But the insistence of his tone made him look down. He had gestured at the boy before, had he not? When he lowered his eyes, he could understand why.

And the hatred pooled in his veins. His lips curled angrily for a moment.

The boy beneath him was staring up at him in pure panic. His brown eyes were dilated and almost blown into complete blackness. His mouth was open in a horrified gasp. He was trying to push him away. But he had no strength against the deity. The unholy hatred that had formerly stared at him so angrily, purple and dark, was replaced by simplistic, blind terror.

Yami blinked slowly. He considered his options for a long moment. His gaze flickered to the corner of his lashes, burning as he looked at Yugi.

He could collapse at any moment. He _would_ collapse soon. If he were to kill Ryou, he might regain some sense of strength.

And would that help Yugi as well?

He kept him pinned there. He kept his nails an inch in his throat. It would be so easy…

But what repercussions would be thrust upon him? Yami had seen the Ring the other was wearing. It had been impossible to miss it in the slightest. It had not lashed out at him as expected, but he had caught sight of it all the same. And the idea of it made him both nervous and furious.

If the Items should be involved…what did that mean exactly?

Yami could not risk putting himself or Yugi in harm's way by killing this boy now. He had no idea the magnitude of punishment that may have followed. And the backlash could so easily destroy him…

But was it truly worth allowing him to live? There was something terrible and alien within the boy's body. And the time he spent wondering was more strength the other creature might be able to draw. And how was he meant to combat it? He could not think straight.

It was not a threat that held him in place now, however. It was that he recognized something within this boy—and it made his blood cold. Yami could not name it. He could not identify it in any way. But it was there. And some part of him recognized and acknowledged it despite it all.

Yami faltered, his mind redirecting itself towards the idea of a punishment. He did not think he was strong enough to suffer through one. He was so tired. And he was so weak. And his body weighed so much…

Yet, for the briefest of moments, Yami wished to challenge this concept more than the idea of releasing this stupid child beneath him. If he was not careful, he could end up getting himself or Yugi killed. But, by the gods, if the Items were involved, the meaning behind it could not be a simple one. He glanced sideways at the Puzzle hanging around Yugi's neck. The Eye glinted and gleamed, shining at him. He almost recoiled, but instead bore his teeth and snarled low in his throat.

He could not afford to play games with the magic the Items possessed. It was foolish to think he could. It could kill him. And it could do it easily. He was unable to do more than stare for a moment. He was too weak to challenge these powers. It was ridiculous. It was impossible. He could not do it.

His knee pressed further into Ryou's chest. For a moment he leaned, applying further pressure. His heart left a stained, cold metallic taste in his mouth as his tongue was laden with blood. The coppery edge made his skin crawl for a moment. It was not his own blood. It was Yugi's, and it was going to suffocate him soon. Yami wanted to break the bones and force them to cave inwards. But a warning flared in the back of his mind now as well.

Something tore and nagged at his insides persistently. But he could not place it now. When he looked away, his body felt weak and colder than ever.

How was an immortal meant to contemplate their own mortality? The very question was daunting to him. But he knew his form was deathly. And this human frame might kill him so simply. He could so easily be destroyed. Such concepts were foreign and bewildering, impossible to be applied to himself in truth.

They were jarring. It hurt his brain to try to wrap it around such a strange idea. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly. Then he forced his muscles to unlock. He jerked himself to his feet. His spine popped with the tension within it. When he opened his eyes again, they were sharp and burning as they met Yugi's stunned stare. The small teen was gaping at him, body nearly still as he took shallow breaths to quell the ache of his ribs and lungs.

He was amazed to see his consideration of his words. He straightened his spine again. The action made his lungs shake harder in his ribs. It was not his words that had truly caused him to falter, Yugi realized. They had simply brought his thoughts to a full circle wherever they had formerly been. Then he turned back. His eyes were cuts of ruby, glittering angrily, as he approached him at a rapid pace.

"Let's go."

 _Before he returns_ , Yami found himself unable to stop thinking. The fear made his skin crawl. His jaw twitched hatefully. He bore his teeth at the thought. Yugi was unable to even open his mouth before his wrist was snatched. His body flared with pain. His eyes rattled within their sockets. The horrid crackling burst within his eardrums. He cried out in agony. His body convulsed slightly. His vision was laced with bright blue and red, spikes of purple and black.

Then, hideously, the color indigo burst before his gaze.

He nearly hit the carpet face-first. But a hand caught his elbow immediately. The grip was somehow _warm_. It was almost as if the use of magic had given him body heat. The long fingers wrapped tightly around his skin. But he hardly seemed to feel it. He was pulled upright again. Then he was gently but unceremoniously pushed to lie on his back.

His ceiling was a disorienting shade of sky blue, swirling and dancing before his eyes between the growing splotches of black and gray and white. The effect of it was like watching a storm gather within the sky, with clouds that might burst within any moment.

His belly twitched and tossed. He groaned weakly.

"Warn me."

"Kiss my ass."

Yugi wanted to laugh but closed his eyes tightly instead. He groaned pathetically before he could think straight. His ribs seemed to throb and break further. He whimpered. "Yami…" he breathed out, feeling dizzy and colder than he thought he ever had before. His eyes felt as if they were bleeding, the colors all beginning to dance together…

"Give me a few minutes."

"My ribs…"

"Will be fine, damn it."

There was a shuffling noise somewhere nearby. But he could not track him. He was breathing too harshly. His heart was pounding too violently in his ears. He trembled and panted. His body shook and he gasped pitifully. The other male failed still to come back to his side.

Yugi wondered if he would simply watch him expire in front of him.

"Please, Yami…"

"What do you beg of me?" the deity bit out in a voice of pure hate and cunning. His voice had become lower, gruffer, darker than before, but there was an edge of which Yugi had never before heard. It rolled like thunder but crashed like broken ice. Realization crept through him, even as the fogginess bore upon his mind in waves—Yami was growing panicked. He did not know what he was meant to do. "What do you plead for from me?"

What _was_ he asking for?

Yugi could not tell around the way his head was spinning so terribly now. All he knew was that he wanted him near. He did not know if it was so that Yami could roll him onto his side to let him puke. He did not know if it was to tell him to kill him and put him out of his misery. He did not know if it was because he just wanted him to tell him that he would be okay.

But the deity did nothing of the sort.

And Yugi floundered to find an answer of any kind.

Instead, the seconds began to pass in long drags of time. His eyes were failing him. He could barely make out the color of his room. The sky blue had begun to bleed into a soft, yet disgusting, dark gray. He trembled visibly. His body was frozen, muscles locked but for his soft tremors.

The red-eyed teen returned to his side after what felt like an eternity. Yugi could feel his breath coming in short, shallow, quickened pants. He had somehow dragged himself into a fetal position. He did not know how, nor when. He simply knew that, somehow, he had done so. Somehow it had happened. He choked on the blood in his mouth. But he was still alive.

Despite the coldness invading his body, somehow, Yugi was still _there_.

He was still, remarkably, _alive_.

And he knew this.

Because he knew that he could _never_ have imagined the look on the other's face.

As his fingers brushed his cheek gently, Yugi could never have put those features in his head as they were arranged now. He was kneeling beside him, eyes sharp and focused. But there was something distant, an almost haunted quality, which smoldered them as well. His brows were pulled together, his lips were drawn into a tight line. His mouth was opened partially, into the smallest and simplest of an "o" shape with which he breathed through in small ragged inhales. His hair was ragged, tugged and in clear disarray, with stringy bangs.

He reached forward again. Something glinted in his palm. In the growing darkness threatening to blind him, Yugi could make it out somehow. His heart raced faster. There was a razor in his palm. And it was gleaming unnaturally in the way his eyes strained to focus on them. He struggled to force his mouth open. His body was wracked with a tremble so great that it made his eyesight clear for even the smallest of moments.

Was he going to kill him? Did he mean to kill him so that he might get rid of all the pain he felt? Or did he simply desire to end it for them both borne of pure desperation? He could not care for feeling so terribly weak like this…

He sputtered and gasped. Blood flecked the floor.

"I…"

"Shut up. I have to concentrate…" Yami paused, halting in his thoughts altogether, and his eyes flashed with that same haunted look. It was growing more noticeable, cold and glittering. It had become tenfold for a moment. His pupils had dilated drastically. "Which is your dominant hand?"

"My…? What…?" He could not fathom speaking for long. But he felt panic well inside of him as well. He did not want to lose himself in the dark. And he had the instinct to grab him. "I…I'm r-right-handed…"

" _Good_."

"Yami…"

" _Silence_."

The deity shot him a furious, disgusted look, then glanced at the blade in his hand. Yugi was right-handed. Did that mean that he, too, was right-handed? Yugi wondered at this. He had to be, yes? If he was born from Yugi himself, from half of the soul this small boy possessed, then he might have the same basic capabilities within his design, yes?

The thought unnerved him even as he began to nod to himself faintly. His mind pulsated with panic, deep and swelling, and his heart was crashing in rapid thumps in his chest. His ribs were beginning to feel numb, dissociated with his body altogether. He raised the blade, focusing upon the blue and purple and dark red veins which lay beneath his skin. They were so close to the surface, and one of them almost appeared black for a split second.

There was something distant but prominent in the smaller boy's eyes. He was slipping from him, he knew, but he was still so scared that somehow he was grasping at clarity. He shook his head in warning as Yugi began to open his mouth. The blood flecking his mouth had dribbled from the corner of his lips. He lowered his eyes to his face again. Yugi was so exhausted and yet so fearful he might do something regretful that somehow he had fought back his growing grogginess in order to try to speak to him.

Yami eyed his wrists slowly. The long lines of bright blue and deep purple seemed to glare at him. His skin looked so pale, so thin. It made him nervous as he peered at them. For a moment he could not think to move.

Then, with a survival instinct he had assumed buried only earlier that morning, Yami lowered the blade with precision. He traced the longest vein he could see, dragging the razor through the soft skin of his wrist to the very tip of his elbow. It welled with bright red, a furious discoloration against his golden-bronze skin. Furious droplets began to pound into the carpet with a spongy noise. He narrowed his eyes into slits.

He watched it for only a second. Then he grabbed the others boy's wrist. His arm burst with pain, flaring with such intensity Yami truly thought to flinch away altogether. The entirety of his limb screamed protest. The very chill of the air agitated it. He breathed in roughly, grinding his teeth together. He clenched his jaw tightly. It would not do to hesitate.

The smaller teen was peering at him with a stunned expression that rendered him nearly blind. He trembled but the deity did not hesitate. The blade dug into his skin now as well, traced downwards in a sharp line, etching his flesh in bright red. The droplets soaked into the carpet in deep red bruises.

Yugi wanted to scream. His body began to burn and itch. His arm pulsed, lighting itself aflame with pain. He tried to jerk back—some primal instinct acting where he could not—but Yami held him in place. His grip was so harsh that it seemed for a moment to completely sever the circulation there. He panted pathetically. The noise leaving his lungs was a wheeze of pain and panic. He tried to inhale and floundered.

"Hold still."

Yugi could not fathom truly moving. The deity paused for only a moment. Then Yami slowly lowered himself to the carpet. He stretched himself out on his side, facing him completely. The strange weight of his blood draining from his body was exhausting. He shook his head slightly to shake away the daze which crept upon him. He pulled his wrist to him, aligning them with painstaking precision.

He closed his eyes for a moment.

Then he pressed them firmly together.

There was a furious and bewildering heat which swept through Yami. It traveled through his blood in waves of power that made him flinch. His body burned and tightened painfully. His limbs felt as if they might combust into nothingness. He closed his eyes tightly and fought away a snarl.

Yami held his arm still in his grip, squeezing painfully. Yugi gasped out a cry into the air, so broken and disjointed that it almost nothing more than a weak sob.

But there was something even further devastating which crept through them both at that moment. A violent and sporadic burst of pain coursed through them both. It lapped at their insides and burst upwards through muscle and tissue. It lay waste to their cells and threatened to incinerate their organs entirely. Then it pushed to their ribcages and there it lingered. As if settling there within them both, it sent violent pulses outwards, receiving harsher waves of cold ice. The marrow in their bones seemed to freeze, then to melt. Then it began to reform, then to crumble into nothingness.

They formed, melted, then hardened and became molten again.

It happened in cycles.

The pain stayed for what felt like hours. Yugi gasped and the iciness began to sweep through his senses once more. His veins reveled in such sensation. His heart skipped and danced and then faltered and slowed. But even its unwinding could not fully deter his attention from this immense pain.

There was so much of it. It all pushed and crashed inside of him. He wanted to scream. But he could not draw in enough air.

Every part of his body was reacting to something.

Every nerve ending flared and then froze with ice.

His heart was slowing but still pounding somehow.

His head was beginning to spin and his vision blur.

He could hear himself wheezing and scraping for breath.

His lungs ached and twisted in his chest.

He could not focus.

But his eyes were locked on Yami's face.

He flinched violently every few seconds.

His jaw ticked.

His grip on his arm tightened.

His breathing came in ragged gasps.

His chin fell and tuck against his chest.

Yugi was still staring at his chin against his collarbone when the darkness swept over him completely.

 **I have no idea when the next update will be, but I'm hoping that it won't take as long as it did this time. Sorry about that, you guys. But again, I WILL try to get it up faster than I did this one. I'm hoping to get ahead on a lot of writing and editing and get things together for future updates so hopefully I can keep up with schedules and things like that.**


	7. Chapter VII

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Yu-Gi-Oh!**

 **Warning: So, the same as last time. The cursing should be relatively mild but grows a little more at times, Season 0 Yami whose a bit more unhinged in this story than he was in _Behind You_ , so keep that in mind.**

 **Note: There are various/copious mentions of blood, some graphic images of death, sensual moments and feelings, touches of violence/abuse, slight OOCness but it's due to stress (and it's mostly going to be from Yugi whose going to suffer pretty badly where Yami is involved and choices he makes in order to help Yami), slight touches of depression, possible triggers**

 **Update Schedule: I'm going to try (again) for bi-weekly updates**

 **I don't really have much an excuse this time. I got distracted by life and a couple of complications in it. Not going to bore anyone with the details, but here we go. Chapter seven.**

 **Any mistakes are one hundred percent mine. I just finished editing and rewriting a huge chunk of the chapter so I'm prone to them. Feel free to point out any particularly terrible ones.**

 **Also, fair warning. The Shadow Game is MEANT to be confusing. Because the "hitchhiker" doesn't take to explaining the entirety of the rules and leaves Yugi and Yami to fumble around in the dark and discover them, they're slightly at a loss. You'll see what I mean in the following chapters.**

Chapter VII

Yugi woke hours later from what felt like a prison of ice within his body. He blinked his eyes open to see the darkness from the night sky and drizzles of molten silver moonlight coming through the window. He was in the bed, he realized after a long moment, groaning as he moved to draw a hand up to touch his forehead. The blanket was caught around his wrists in knots, holding them both prisoner rather effectively for the moment. Yugi hissed, struggling in his need to unwrap them, and ground his teeth as if he had been doused with ice and then left to thaw in the slowest and most agonizing of ways. His nerves had finally begun to respond to him, twitching and licking with weak energy, and he opened his eyes slowly to see the other person in the room.

Yami lay prone upon the ground, lying across on his back. His legs were folded and his knees bent upwards. His head was turned towards him. His right wrist was clean, wiped of any evidence. But the carpet still remained littered with splotches that shone black in the dark. And his left hand was splayed across his lean torso, his long fingers folded and clenched there. His eyes were open only halfway. The usual light within them was dull from the shadows his spidery lashes cast.

But Yami was watching him.

His head was tipped just far back enough to regard him as he rested.

Yugi felt a small tremor run through him, thrumming through his veins and settling deep within his wrist. The energy spiraled and danced beneath his skin there as he looked down at the former wound. It, too, had been wiped clean and appeared pristine in its appearance beneath the silver moonlight.

It was unmarred, almost beautiful to the cold and gentle light drenching his room from the window. Yugi traced the long line of his veins with his eyes. He followed them to the curve of his elbow. They were unusually dark and noticeable, far beyond what they should have been. And he remembered Yami cutting it. He remembered him tracing that vein. He remembered the way he'd used the blade to split his skin so effortlessly.

He blinked and swallowed hard.

"Are…?"

He was croaking and his mouth was incredibly dry. The taste of stale blood was heavy upon his tongue, caking it to his palate. It felt weighted, holding it there in place. He reached up unconsciously to wipe at his lips.

Were they still stained?

He remembered coughing up blood…

He tried to swallow away some of the copper taste that was seated so uncomfortably in his mouth. But he could not find any way to force his throat to work.

"We're alive." The answer came curt and soft in the darkness, replying to his unfinished question. Yami's eyes flashed in the darkness for a split moment. The smaller teen focused on him, his vision slightly fuzzy. And then he found that his throat worked to swallow thickly only then.

His eyes were full of amusement but drenched in hatred as well.

But it was not his eyes which made Yugi choke.

It was the way the moonlight shone upon his body. It made his lean figure appear light, ethereal, his hair glimmering with its beautiful touch. It was the way his eyes were splashed with darkness but glittered all the same. It was the curl of his mouth as he smirked as he tilted his head further back to regard him.

"Only barely. You fainted. If you had not done that, there would not have been such great risk."

Yugi felt his former relief upon hearing his words and slight shock upon seeing his features bathed in such a way crash though him. It crumbled into nothingness and he shot him a disgusted look, shaking his head slowly.

"You're…?" he gasped out, choking on the air in his lungs. He stared at him, unable to think straight, heart in his throat at the very concept. "You're blaming _me_ for fainting?"

"Yes." Yami said it with such simplicity that, for the briefest of seconds, Yugi felt the impulse to apologize stupidly. He made it sound so logical to blame such a thing on him. The disgust folded and intensified in his stomach. "If you had been stronger, we would not have nearly died… How is your lung?"

His… _lung_?

Yugi frowned at him in puzzlement, for a moment at a loss as to what he could possibly mean. He blinked, then bit his lip, and slowly breathed in until it felt as if his lungs might explode. It was slow and deep, an inhale that rattled his entire body. A small sting greeted him but it was nothing akin the hideous burning he had first encountered when it had been broken.

"It's okay…" He hesitated, staring at the deity. For the first time since he had crossed paths with him, Yugi saw something brilliant and luminescent within the other boy. He looked truly immortal, something which the small teen had never truly seen before. But he seemed so powerful and young lying there, drenched in silver moonlight and watching him in that way that made his eyes glitter like rubies of bright red. "What did you do exactly?"

Yami remained quiet for what felt like hours. Yugi would have assumed that the other had fallen asleep had his eyes not been wide open and his gaze caught upon his face. Then, slowly, the deity angled his head away. Yugi could see him tip his chin towards the ceiling, eyes boring into the sky blue there he was sure.

Finally those brilliant red eyes closed. The smaller teen sat up fully, stretching himself out in order to watch him more pointedly.

"I healed you."

It was so simple that Yugi could almost believe it to be the answer. But the truth of it was smothered beneath the simplistic words and it made his stomach hurt.

"Yeah, but _how_ , Yami?"

And how much had he _risked_ in doing so? Would it further deteriorate him? What if he had wasted most of his magic in doing such a thing? What would he do then? Would it cause him to lose his strength altogether? Would it destroy him? Would there be no way for him to help his recovery?

"I…I saw you before I fainted, Yami. You were just barely hanging on. What did you _do_?"

Yami scoffed. "I hung on far better than you did."

"That's _beside the point_! Tell me what you did, Yami no Yugi!"

He was snarling before he could think it through, sitting up straighter than before. His glare was furious, hateful, and Yugi felt dizzy for a split second.

There was a violent twitch which racked the other's thin frame. His jaw flexed twice. His eyes opened wide. His head turned towards him. His fingers clenched and he thought the nails were digging through his shirt. In a deadly calm, clear voice, Yami murmured, "I found the main vein within our arms and cut them. Merging the blood allows us to heal each other. We experienced each other's blood within our veins and suffered each other's pains. It was the only way I could heal you without risk of a hospital."

Yugi blinked stupidly, surprised by the sudden admittance. Normally Yami would fight him a million times harder than this. Normally he withheld information as if it were cherished. He would hold the knowledge Yugi sought, with a desire to simply leave the small teen in the dark.

He furrowed his brows, staring at him. And then a sharp realization began to creep through him. His heart skipped and plummeted as he processed the thought. He had just used his true name.

He'd used his true name _in a command_.

Yami was obeying him mindlessly because he had just forced him to do so. He had forced him to do the same as Yami had once done days before.

Yugi had _stripped_ him of his own _free will_.  
"Oh gods…"

The way Yami stared at him made Yugi shiver. His eyes were dead, a frosty sheen coloring upon his gaze. The black of his pupils had grown blown, encompassing much of his irises. The expression on his face was all but vacant. Yugi trembled, opening and closing his mouth.

"I didn't mean to do that!" the small teen blurted out. His breath was caught and choked and his eyes were wild with desperation. The other boy blinked at him slowly and the relief that came over Yugi made him nearly quake. The life seemed to steadily come into those red eyes again, the dull color of bricks receding to bright fiery embers and the core of garnets. Then he blinked again and his lip curled, his teeth glinted, and his body shook with suppressed rage, the loathing clear on his face. "I didn't mean to use your name like that! I—"

"Hold your tongue, you incessant _brat_!" the deity spat in growing outrage. He threw himself onto his hands and knees and then got to his feet in a swift movement.

If Yugi had blinked, he might have missed it. But the thought was trailing behind the mental wall he'd hit at the moment. Because he was staring at Yami's teeth now. And they were so sharp and white and he wondered if he could rip his throat out with them even now…

"You dare to use my true name and strip me of will and then further mock me by blatantly displaying your ignorance?"

"I—I didn't mean to. I just—"

"I should destroy you."

"Oh yeah? Well, maybe I was just _paying you back_ for those times that you did the same fucking thing to me just yesterday!" Yugi spat out, unable to stop himself. The words processed in his brain a second too later. His heart plummeted as they caught up with him.

He opened and closed his mouth thrice, unable to think of how to take such a statement back. The seconds ticked by, his brain frozen. He couldn't think straight, staring at the other boy and those glittering teeth. And then his heart constricted, threatening to break. He swallowed hard.

He had not meant to say that.

And he had certainly never wanted to pay him back.

He had never meant to make him feel the need to follow his command like that.

He had just meant to get his attention.

Yami had to know that.

Surely he understood that he hadn't truly tried to—

"I never had the intention to do such a thing. I was unaware that I might still be capable of commanding another being. I am too weak to heal and yet I can impose my will on others? How was I meant to know such a thing?"

"But that's exactly the same thing as what I just did, Yami!"

"No, you brat. Because _you_ have full control and _knowledge_ over what you are saying, Yugi. And you knew that you could do it. And so you _did_."

"I would never do that, Yami! That's not even something that ever crossed my mind. But that _is_ the truth of what _you_ did to _me_ yesterday when you told me about the hitchhiker. We both know you weren't deluded into thinking that you were _that_ powerless yet. You knew you could do it and so you _did_."

"And you shall receive _no_ apologies from me, you little bastard. You deserve everything you come to get—"

Yugi shook his head. His hand reached out, covering the other boy's mouth. The deity was frozen at the touch, entire body seizing in place. Something drifted in his eyes, a sense of alarm and bewilderment. And then they grew murderous, his hands reaching swiftly towards his.

Yugi imagined he'd break his arm.

Or maybe he'd just tear it out of his socket.

But the deity's nails simply clawed at him and something in his eyes was brilliantly lit, a sense of something almost like fear beneath all the anger.

"I'm sorry," he breathed out softly, shaking his head. "I truly _never_ meant to do that to you, Yami no Yugi."

The nails in his arm lessened slightly. Yugi could not tell if perhaps Yami had grown tired or if he'd truly heard the sincerity in his voice. The smaller teen nibbled his bottom lip as he regarded the other boy.

Yami was still furious, staring at him in pure hatred. He would still rather destroy him than remain in his presence. But the other boy slowly lessened his grip entirely, and Yugi pulled his hand away to drop into his lap. The murderous gleam in those red eyes had become shadowed, drifting almost completely.

"I promise you that I never once meant to do anything like that, Yami. And I wont again, okay? I told you one time that I never wanted to force you to do something against your will, remember?" He searched his face for a moment, studying the way his eyes glittered with disdain. He didn't know if it was the subject of conversation or the fact that he had forgotten. But it was there and it was almost overwhelming to face at the moment. But if he didn't make eye contact then surely it would seem more as if he were avoiding him than anything, right? "That still holds true now. I only said your true name because I wanted your full attention. I didn't do it because I wanted to make you obey me."

"You _had_ my attention. If you did not, I would not have been speaking to you, damn it."

"And I am sorry. It's a human habit. People do that kind of thing when they want someone to pay full attention during an argument or conversation. I never meant to…"

He fell quiet for a moment, frowning at him and shaking his head slightly. "Look, Yami, whether or not you choose to believe me is your own thing. But the fact is that I am sincere when I say I did not mean to, nor did I want to, and I apologize."

Yami shook his head slowly. His eyes were glittering and his teeth were bared as he scowled at him. "You think that will free you from any judgment?" he growled, eyes sharp and boring into his.

"No, I don't." Yugi pulled his legs up, crossing and folding them to sit more comfortably. His back tingled slightly, but he felt okay beyond that unpleasant sensation. His eyes were dark, shaded with sorrow. "But I told you once that I would never wish to contain you, or imprison you or even slightly control you, remember? I don't want to ever do that to you. Do you honestly not remember that?"

Yami hesitated. His eyes flickered as he looked away again. His fingers twitched and his mouth tugged slightly downwards once more. "I do not care to speak any longer," he said quietly, blinking and staring at the comforter.

"That's because you _do_ remember," Yugi said smugly. The deity stiffened noticeably. His shoulders began to rise, his lips twitching more pointedly as they began to curl. The smaller teen felt the laughter surge away from him entirely. He reached out to touch his arm gently, the cold skin chilling him to the bone for a brief moment. His voice was soft when he spoke again. "I was just teasing. Don't get so upset."

Yami gave him a sharp look that said he was anything but amused. But then he turned away again just as quickly, narrowing his dark eyes. Yugi leaned forward, about to grip as his shirt more tightly than the touch to his arm. Maybe he would pull him down and kiss him. Or perhaps he would invite him to lay with him as he had the other night.

He was unsure that he truly wanted anything more at the moment. But then the opportunity passed.

Something had moved in the corner of his eye. He remembered too late the state of Yami's reflection, those twisting writhing shadows of dark black. Had he remembered, he probably would not have bothered to look.

But, in his forgetfulness, he glanced over. And the color drained from his face as his mouth opened in horror. He let out a loud yelp as if he had been physically inflicted with pain. The other boy spun on him, startled, but then froze. His red eyes flickered to the desk as well.

In a matter of seconds Yugi could see the shock grow into horror and then to something almost akin self-pity before his expression became resentful and bitter, hateful. In the metal's surface, the solid red diamond shape of his eyes twisted and grew narrow, embittered further. He bared his teeth. The lips in his reflection were jagged lines, sharp teeth of ventablack. The bright red core of his mouth matched his eyes where it showed in a small gap between the sharper exterior.

"Damn it."

"Oh my gods…"

Yami shot him a furious look, bristling. "Shut up. It is not so terrible."

"Are you shitting me, Yami? Are you not seeing the same thing that I am?" Yugi spat out, sputtering, his hysteria mounting drastically. He failed to realize his panic was only fueling the deity's sense of overwhelmed frustration as they stared at each other. "Your reflection is _missing pieces_! It's completely dissipated around the shoulders!"

Yami had the impulse to say he saw something else entirely.

He opened and closed his mouth stupidly.

He could not fathom looking towards his own face any longer.

It would drive him insane.

It would cause him to panic.

And the two of them mindless and shaken would benefit no one.

He closed his eyes for a moment.

Then he opened them again into mere slits, staring at the desk furiously.

There was a snarl building his chest. But Yami could no longer tell where it was directed. To spit such noise at Yugi seemed useless. And it was he himself who was suffering. So what use did such a noise do him?

He raised his shoulders in the reflection cast on the desk and his stomach twisted. The shadows moved to attempt to copy him. But, in a large strip, like the arch of a bow, was a line of silver and dark gray which greeted him. The light reflected from it, unaltered by his presence leaning over the metal. It encircled his neck, cupped the crests of his thin shoulders, and his frame seemed scrawny beneath it, lightened, as if perhaps somehow half of his reflection had been stripped along the back as well.

Yami shrugged again. His eyes wouldn't leave the desk and his mouth felt dry as he stared. The movement made his stomach clench. Sickness swelled in the back of his mind.

"What's wrong with it? What's wrong with _you_?"

Yugi had not meant to sound so horrified or terrified. He had not meant for the question to be so accusatory either. He could not help the hysteria that welled in his tone, however. And he blanched when the deity did not wholly react to his growing panic.

Yami lowered his eyes towards the two splotches of red which were meant to mirror them in his reflection. The color was not nearly as dark or vibrant as it had once been. He remembered them being gorgeous, or at the very least pretty enough to make one pause and look a second time.

Now they appeared a dull, rusty color like a brick. It made him queasy to even look upon them.

He shook his head after a moment, squeezing his eyes shut tightly.

"So help me, Yami, if you don't tell me by your own accord, I _will_ do it."

The deity stiffened. Alarms went off in his head, breath catching in his throat. Then his head jerked towards him. His eyes were narrow, cold with ferocity. "You would not dare," he challenged, though he sounded breathless and the threat he had meant to imply fell flat.

"If I can do it by accident, I can surely do it on purpose," Yugi promised angrily.

The god stiffened further beside him. His eyes grew narrower. His gaze darkened slightly with shock. Then he tilted his head and regarded him for a moment. The thoughts were writhing behind his eyes like shadows, dancing and churning. But he did not move beyond this, breathing in slowly and surely.

Yugi let the silence stretch out only a moment longer. Then he pursed his lips. Reality came to him that he would have to call his own bluff and the very idea caused his heart to ache. He drew in a deep breath, lifted his chin, and opened his mouth.

A hand slapped over his mouth, however. The force of it touching his skin was enough to make the air pop with the collision. There was no pain to be felt but the small teen still fell silent, eyes wide and startled.

"I am trying to find the words," Yami spat in annoyance. Their eyes were caught, the red glowing with hatred. And then he narrowed them, lowering them with a shake of his head. For a moment he did not move further.

Then, slowly, hesitating and almost second-guessing himself more than once, he began to withdraw his hand. His eyes fell on his mouth, investigating the skin he had touched, wondering at the lack of redness there. Then he turned away, moving slowly to his side to take a seat beside him on the mattress.

For a moment neither of them seemed to breathe. Yugi could not draw air into his lungs. Yami was simply frozen beside him. Then the god threw himself backwards with a loud huff of breath. A low, bubbling noise like a growing snarl came from deep within his chest.

"I… _Fuck_."

Yugi swallowed hard and bit his lip hard enough to puncture it. Blood filled his mouth, pooling across his tongue, and the small teen felt sick. It was so hard to watch Yami struggle so profusely with the effort of processing his thoughts.

It was clear that he could not fully draw together a coherent string of words with which to speak to him. The sight of his loss made the smaller teen reach out, his heart shattering in his chest. Yami was so strong and now he was almost reduced to ashes and debris…

"Yami, I told you, I'm not going to hurt you—"

"And you assume that this will make me desire to open up to you? I am weakened and you think that some words of such low magnitude will make me wish to speak?" Yami spat, eyes wild and dilated as they stared up at the ceiling. "To put into speech my own vulnerabilities? No, you stupid, stupid little child. It makes me want _nothing more than to slit your throat_. Hold your tongue, boy. I must think…"

Yugi frowned, hesitating for a long minute. The silence was harsh, weighing down on them both heavily. He bit his lip, unable to fight away a terrible shiver. The red eyes flickered towards him and then away again to stare at the ceiling. He wondered if Yami thought it was going to cave in on him again.

He closed his eyes tightly for a moment, reaching up to run a hand through his hair.

The silence continued.

He could barely even hear the taller teen breathing for a long minute. The thought rattled him. His eyes snapped open. Impulsively he reached out to touch him. He was shaking, reaching for his cheek and then stopping short.

Yami was staring at him, eyes sharp and cold. And it deterred him from his initial path. Instead he took one of his long bangs in between his fingers, wrapping it along the length of his index, and twisted it gently.

His eyes shot towards the other boy's, worried perhaps that he might find the gesture offensive. But the red gaze was keenly watching, wide and curious as to his actions. He smiled faintly, wanting to laugh for the briefest of seconds. He looked almost as innocent and surprised as he had when he had first witnessed snow touch his nose in the park that day.

Yugi wanted to wring the strands around his finger. He was not sure that it was truly providing Yami the comfort he had wished to give him. But it would have to do. It was truly the only thing he could think to do that involved them both but did not encroach too heavily upon Yami's senses.

He was not touching him in a way that he could feel, only one that he could see.

That had to be an intensely relieving thing for the other boy at the moment.

And, on top of that comfort, it allowed them a distraction from the tension, providing Yami more room to consider his own words.

"I…am much weaker than I have ever been," he finally stated. He kept his gaze on the small teen's finger even as his voice drifted past his lips, cold and distant. The words seemed to connect in his head, however, and his body stiffened rapidly.

Yugi saw Yami's fingers twitching where they rested on his belly. He seemed almost to want nothing more than lash out at his own statement. His slender digits curled, nails digging into the fabric of the shirt covering his torso.

But still, he watched Yugi's finger, and he failed to deny what little touch of comfort Yugi was thus able to offer him.

"I am always so exhausted now, Yugi. He is draining me…much more than I originally thought him capable of," he muttered, voice straining. There was something dubious, full of disbelief, beneath his words, and the smaller teen felt sickened at the realization. Yami was not able to truly comprehend the predicament, nor that he was even saying such words to the human boy as well. "It is getting worse. When he made physical contact with me earlier…he was stripping me of more of my energy. And…I lack the knowledge of how to replenish it."

The smaller teen trembled but kept his finger knotted in his long bang for a moment. Then he breathed out roughly and shook his head. "Yami, I…" He hesitated, knowing that the other boy would not care for yet another apology. He could not help but feel pathetic for being unable to think anything else, however. So Yugi shook his head again, watching him, and sighed softly. "And you have no idea how to replenish it?"

"No."  
Yugi studied him for a long moment. Very slowly Yami turned his attention to him as well. Their eyes locked and Yugi felt a tremor run down his spine. He searched his face, paying close attention to the way the outer layer of his irises seemed to darken minutely. The sight of this made his own eyes narrow.

"You're lying to me."

"You do not know me well enough to say that."

"I don't need to, Yami. But I know you're lying."

"How? There is no lie to be told."

"You know of a way. You just aren't saying it."

Yami stared at him for a long moment. Then his lips curled back in furious irritation. His eyes flashed and he bore his teeth once more a defensive gesture, infuriated. He thought again to deny the statement. But his energy would be wasted and he did not care enough any longer.

Let Yugi know the truth.

Let him deny him.

It would just prove his hatred to be justified.

"Fine. If you should wish to hear it, then allow me to give you your answer," he spat, smirking when Yugi blinked up at him in surprise. "I think that a Shadow Game is possibly the only way to get it back."

"So then _challenge him_!"

Yami faltered for a brief second, eyes growing wide with shock. He blinked up at him, stunned. Yugi had said it so simply. He had not even taken a moment to think it over, to consider it.

He had simply responded.

The god stared at him, mystified. His mouth was dry again, his eyes wide with bewilderment. Was he actually _condoning_ a Shadow Game? Was he _truly_ encouraging him to do such a thing?

He had expected him to argue, to give him reasons why he shouldn't…

Yami frowned faintly, further puzzled. Then he remembered their earlier game of cards in his room. He had wanted to know why he killed. And then he had agreed that he would never tell him not to if it would help.

The thought staggered him for a long moment.

He couldn't breathe and his heart was racing within his chest. He swallowed hard. Had he truly said that? Had he truly just told him to challenge this other creature?

Yami shook his head slowly, turning away to look towards the ceiling again.

"I have no energy to waste in doing so," he admitted in a frustrated tone, feeling cornered and small for his words. Yugi blinked, his determination fading into a crestfallen and small expression. "I have no energy in which to create the Game and—"

He stopped short. His body snapped to attention. His muscles seized for a moment. A noise scraped its way through his ear. He sat up, rigid. His hand slapped Yugi's away. His head tossed back and forth in search of the disturbance.

Then his eyes fell upon the window. He turned his head to face it, his predatory anger making it a slow process he curled his lips back, bristling. The snarl that crept through his throat was long and slow. It made his body vibrate, so deep was it in his chest.

Yugi froze. He blinked at Yami in confusion. Then a sense of dread swept through him. He swallowed hard, thickly, his breathing harsh and ragged for a split second. Then he clenched his fingers and hoped to settled his nerves somewhat.

He did not want to look.

Whatever it was that awaited his gaze there had caused the god to bristle furiously.

His eyes were dilated and his teeth were bared. He was snarling as if he were nothing more than a rabid animal. His entire body was tense, posed to leap forward. But somehow he still remained seated.

"Oh…"

Balanced on the pane of glass was none other than the slender white-haired teen. His eyes were glowing. His stance was predatory and unnatural as he loomed over them. His lips were pulled back into a hideous smirk.

For a long time the small teen swore he saw something preternatural and chaotic, almost overpowering and eternal, in those purple eyes. And it shook him to the core as his spine tightened painfully and his stomach flipped sloppily. His breathing was tight as he looked swiftly towards Yami from the corner of his eye. He could do nothing more in that moment than try to reassure himself that the other was truly there beside him.

As long as Yami was still there and had not faded away somehow, then perhaps everything would be okay…

Yugi nearly shivered at his own childish thoughts.

"I should never have spoken…"

His voice was so soft that Yugi almost could not hear him. But he did sense the tension in his shoulders and the way his hand had tightened against the comforter, his knuckles turning white in his grip.

"Huh?" He turned more towards Yami now. Desperation made him want to burrow into his side. But the red-eyed deity did not seem to be paying him much attention. And the shape from his peripheral was burned into his sight regardless. Yami did not pay him any attention, however. His red eyes peered past him, the furious expression rising to a tenfold state as his brilliant features darkened further. "Why not?"

"Because…" Yami stared with eyes that seemed almost to bleed with hatred. "Now he knows."

Yugi blinked and the blood drained from his face. "Oh gods…"

Yami tipped his head to the side slowly. A sense of wonder had come about to tease upon his mind. A light pressure nipped upon his skin. He felt his anger in its full wrath, swarming and tugging at his gut. But it was not powerful enough to falter his growing bewilderment.

He blinked, a restlessness creeping through him as his curiosity peaked. And then, slowly, he rose to his feet. The action was calm and steady. And Yami could see Yugi stiffen from his spot beside him. But it did not make him pause.

The red-eyed teen took a step forward.

The smaller boy sprang to his feet before his foot was even firmly on the carpt. His hand grasped his arm tightly. Yami blinked, unsure of the sensation. It was as if something were blocking his sense of touch. The prickles of discomfort had become far more prominent.

He blinked. Then he turned his head, confused.

There was a soft, beautiful, heavenly humming in his ears…

Yugi swallowed hard. The deity turned to face him completely. The wonder in his features was still there. But it was beginning to fade slightly. Still, however, his eyes had begun glittering. His head had tilted further to the side. His expression had grown somehow full of life.

"Do you hear it?"

"Hear what?"

No, _no_ …

 _Of course_ Yugi did not hear it.

But it was so beautiful.

The melody of noise was so gentle and wonderful and…

And, oh, by the gods, if it was not sinfully toxic but terribly alluring as well.

Yami turned his head and stared, the other figure something of a shadow or perhaps a mist, something intangible but so apparent that he could have reached out to grasp. He blinked and a glossy splinter of frustration cut through his blood like ice. His skin burned, aflame and writhing.

"My magic…"

Yugi blinked and stared at him, startled by the wistful tone to his voice. He furrowed his brows and glanced between Yami and the creature wearing Ryou's face and his stomach knotted as he looked back at the red-eyed teen.

"My magic is calling to me."

The smaller boy was frozen at the words. His stomach churned and his mouth opened twice, then finally shut again as he struggled to find words. If Yami's magic were calling to him, how was he meant to stop him from doing something drastic?

And wasn't that just what this creature wanted?

Wouldn't Yami reacting in any way just a game to them?

He nearly groaned under his breath. But Yami was not paying him any mind. He had turned his head, eyes narrowed, and his gaze was caught on that on figure above their heads. And then he tipped his head and snapped his teeth, lunging.

The noise was loud and forceful. The figure stumbled, nearly tipping backwards. But he righted himself at the last second. The smirk on his face widened.

Yami turned abruptly to Yugi now. His fingers were twitching. His mouth worked for a moment. Yugi could see the strain in his breathing. He growled and curled his lip faintly. Then he studied Yugi with glowing eyes and a strained, harsh voice.

"The Shadow Magic is singing in my ears. He is trying to tempt me out there…"

"And you damn near look like you are going to go to him," Yugi spat. His blue-violet eyes were wide, wild and fearful, as they bore so greatly into his. Yami could not tear his gaze from his, eyes locked first with disinterest and then with cold annoyance. Then his expression morphed, twisting with frustration and his eyes flickered, dancing with yearning, towards the window.

"You can't just do that," the smaller teen continued in a harsh tone, but there was a shaky edge which gripped Yami's attention more than he cared to admit. "He could easily hurt you, damn it. You're—"

Yugi yelped as his head snapped to the side. He stumbled back a step. The force behind the backhand was enough to make him see stars explode behind his eyes. Sparks of white and gold swam in his vision. But he had not hit him harder than to stun. He had not dealt him the same force he had in the alley.

Yugi did not go flying backwards. He was not wracked with pain. No bone was broken or fractured beneath his skin.

It was by far more shocking than painful.

His head turned back and he couldn't help it when his mouth fell open. Yugi tossed his head back and forth desperately to clear the light fragments from his vision. He blinked stupidly. Then he stared.

Yami was scowling at him furiously.

"What? It's not like he _doesn't_ know just as well as us! That was his plan the entire time!"

The deity bristled, voice low and nearly rumbling with hate. "You speak of this as if you know what is happening. You speak as if it were simple!" he spat. His eyes flashed like gemstones. Yugi nearly recoiled. Yami's pupils had become mere pinpricks. And they were writhing, tossing little black embers forward against the red. "But it is not. The moment that he is to challenge, we _must_ play. Predetermined weakness in a Shadow Game is what will deliver your _death_. Your fear will blind you so that you fail within the first round. You cannot ever show such weakness, damn you."

"We _have_ to accept?" the small teen asked, bewildered and almost breathless. "Why?"

Was there no way to decline?

Were they cornered into playing?

Would it skip to a Punishment if they rejected?

Yugi could not recall hearing any such stories before in his life. His grandpa had never mentioned such a thing, he was sure. He would have remembered them. Because that would have terrified him even more than the fact that the Shadow Realm was a real thing.

And Yami might have been ruthless and bloodthirsty, but he had always mentioned a Shadow Game. And he would make a point of saying that they had accepted the proposition he had thrown them. And then he would say that he had killed them for losing and…

"I _need my magic back_!" the deity snarled. His eyes were wilder than ever. His pupils were almost vibrating against his irises. He looked as if he might launch himself forward at Yugi any second. His teeth were bared. His fingers were shaking. His breathing was harsh.

The smaller boy almost stepped back. His first impulse was to do both this and to then remove himself entirely from the god's sight. Yami would not lash out if he was not there to see.

In this case, in their relationship, out of sight _truly meant_ out of mind.

But then Yami faltered. His ferocity fell abruptly into nothingness. His eyes grew wide. He blinked. His features became indifferent, calm and collected once more. He slowly tilted and raised his head again, facing the window.

"And I shall win."

"How can you be so sure?" Yugi was shaking with the urge to flee and to remain there, alarmed by his sudden change in demeanor. "How can you possibly be so sure?"

"Because I must."

When Yami turned back to him, there was such determination within his eyes that Yugi felt his fear quell for a moment. The god knew what he was doing, even if he himself was lost. And he could not share in his certainty, because the thought of accepting a challenge against Ryou—or the thing sharing his face—made him incredibly nervous. And it made him sick.

And, as Yami looked away, Yugi felt the fear swell again. And he wondered, briefly, what it was that Yami could know that he didn't. Because, despite everything, Yami had been bested on more than one occasion by this figure in front of them. He had fled when Yugi had been in the alley. He might have protected him using his magic to make him blend in or perhaps even invisible to the boy, but he had not fought. And he had been damaged when they'd faced off in the alley.

His reflection had been torn and tattered…

Yugi stared at him now, wishing for nothing more than the deity to turn back to him. Maybe if their eyes were locked, he could pull some of his courage for himself. But the moment passed. The opportunity disappeared before he could truly consider it.

Yami was thinking of things that Yugi knew he could never fully hope to understand. The realization was crushing as he looked at the other boy. And then he reached up to pull at the bottom of his shirt, tightening his grip on the fabric and breathing roughly. His head angled, watching Yami from his peripheral, as he looked at the other figure.

"Why is he just standing there?"

"The Shadow Game must be declared in an open area. Confined spaces such as these are likely to make the magic lash out and potentially kill all those exposed to it." Yugi's mouth fell open. Yami fell immediately silent, startled by the sudden movement. In the corner of his eye it had looked as if Yugi had meant to bite him. But the human was gaping at him, eyes wide and horrified. Yami blinked, furrowing his brows and tilting his head. The alarm and shock and horror made the deity wonder if he had perhaps done something wrong. He puzzled over this idea, searching various memories but drawing no conclusion. "What? The magics are volatile. I never once told you otherwise."

"But you've used them in my room before!"

"Only a few times," Yami defended himself, blinking at him in bewilderment. Why was he so upset now? The smaller teen scowled at him for a moment, then narrowed his eyes. His hand lashed out and his fist socked him in the shoulder harshly, an angry and defiant action.

The force of the blow left a stinging ache for them both.

But neither rubbed the wound and Yugi scowled harder as he realized the impact would surely leave a fresh bruise. But Yami was smirking at him, devilish with amusement.

"I said that _challenging someone_ to a Shadow Game in a confined place could do such a thing. And, besides, Yugi, I have _complete_ control of my own magic."

"Until it gets stolen from you," he spat back.

Yugi hated himself the moment the words left his mouth.

But he flinched when he saw the immediate effect they had on the other boy.

Yami blinked at him. Then his face collapsed, crestfallen by the statement. His red eyes had grown wide, stunned. And then the shock folded into an expression of complete and utter hurt. The pain was raw and edged with devastation and his eyes were dilated with the force of it.

He looked smaller, incredibly weaker than ever.

And Yugi wanted nothing more than to beg him not to stare at him as he did.

Those red eyes had dulled. The vibrancy had been lost in mere seconds. And they looked almost the shade of a dingy brick. Yami looked hollowed out, as if his will had been stripped from him.

For a moment he struggled visibly.

He blinked.

He choked on a breath.

And then his face began to rearrange its emotional features. In his eyes flashed. His lips curled back. His jaws parted and his tongue flicked across the front of his teeth. His canines glinted. His fingers curled, the nails sharp and poised.

He had caught himself wherever he'd formerly lost himself in those shadows in his mind. And what he had found there had made him angrier. He was vicious and hateful. And his thoughts were churning behind his eyes, making them dark and garnet in shade.

"I will savor the moment I am able to split your skull and drain your blood, you pathetic little human."

The smaller teen flinched but could not find it in himself to respond. The guilt clawed at his insides. And his breathing was strained as he stared. Answering Yami now would be stupider than to repeat his initial comment.

He swallowed hard, unsure of what more to do.

He should never have opened his mouth and said such a thing.

He understood that.

But he was angry. And he was hurt too.

And Yami was not making it any easier.

But he could not fathom so much as opening his mouth again, the fear of fracturing them further making him fall silent.

Instead he lowered his eyes to the ground, ducking his head, and nodded slightly. The breath he drew in was deep and shaky. And he could still feel Yami's eyes on him, hideous and furious and hateful.

"We have to go outside to address him."

"Or we could just pretend he's not there and go to sleep instead," Yugi pleaded quietly, desperately, relieved for only a moment that Yami had looked away. The sound of his voice, however, caused the deity to turn back. His eyes were caught on him, dangerous and full of fury. Yugi could not raise his head but he did peek at him from beneath his lashes. "Please, Yami, I'm exhausted…"

"And you deserve to have your spine pulled from your body to be immediately shoved through your whore's stomach. But I have not done so yet. And I will give you this choice now. It is one or the other."

Yugi flinched and then turned towards the door. "Fine, come on."

Yami did not allow him to move ahead of him. Instead he walked past him immediately. He was through the door before Yugi could even find the strength to blink. The smaller teen glanced over his shoulder, swallowing hard. The figure on the glass paced a step, smirking at him with a smug expression.

Yugi turned away again immediately, swallowing away a statement that could have been foolish, and followed the deity as quickly as he could. He did not want to lose sight of Yami at any rate.

What happened if he were to lose his temper in this weakened state and tried to mutilate the other?

He could hardly win against him, not when his magic was severed so severely.

Yugi trembled as the thought passed through his mind. He reached up to bite a thumbnail with wide eyes. Yami could easily end up the one to be eviscerated and bled to death if he was not careful…

The smaller teen was a step ahead of him when they got outside. Yugi could not say for the life of him why he'd taken that position. He was weaker than Yami was at any rate. Even on his best day he couldn't tap half of the strength the deity possessed. He shared none of his magic or his adaptability. The most they shared was the same height when he straightened his back and squared his shoulders. It was not like that moment he'd walked into the kitchen and protected him then.

His mom was not simply welding a ladle at him now.

This was some otherworldly creature which promised to kill them.

But he felt better for doing it.

And he knew Yami noticed it, because the deity hissed softly. The noise was a low, simple rattling in the dead air. But he did not object. He did not move to step ahead of him. He did not claim the protective position by staying ahead of him. Instead Yami allowed him this weak comfort, that of having the potential to step between them and shield him should he have to.

But Yami did not plan to give him a reason to have to do so.

To play such a hand in this situation would easily get them both killed.

But let Yugi pretend? He could do that. There was no harm to be found in allowing him to gain some kind of confidence back in the aspect of potentially protecting him from a threat.

It made him bristly slightly, yes, and so Yami hissed in frustration to expel some of the tension in his body. But it did not harm either of them physically, so he could allow such a thing. And his pride did not push forth to make the action repulsive to the point of claiming his spot in the forefront.

In fact, much of him was neutral beyond his initial disbelief and frustration that a human might come to be his protector. But it passed as swiftly as it had come as well. And it was not worth the time it took to puzzle such sensations out.

"About time."

Yugi stepped back slightly. The action allowed them to all but bump shoulders.

"I thought it would take all night for you and your master to draw enough courage to crawl back out here."

The instinctive reaction to physically feel Yami there beside him as they brushed against each other was almost overwhelming. Yugi glanced at Yami sideways, but the deity did well not to answer.

Yami watched him pointedly within his peripheral but he did not turn to face him completely. He was well aware of the instinctive need to know the location of his charge at all times in the face of a threat. He had experience it on more than one occasion. His own instincts had carried within it the necessity of blood spill, the desire to kill as violently as he was so capable of. But Yugi did not have such an instinct.

But they both shared its core component, to offer reprieve from a potentially dangerous situation.

So Yami would not question it now.

The red-eyed boy did not blink and the smaller teen drew in a deep breath. Yami did not even bother to show surprise when the other figure approached from the darkness, sliding out of the shadows as if he were born from them. Yugi thought he looked as if he had been bolded from the blackness itself, taking form and pushing forward effortlessly.

If it were not for the clothes, Yugi might have even believed it in its entirety.

But then the colors glared at him, hideous and bright.

And Yugi was galled by it.

In a rare moment of disgust so profound he could not help himself, his voice became incredulous and loud. "Who the _fuck_ wears _stripes_ anymore?" The deity turned to Yugi, practically barking at him with disdain and puzzlement. He glared at him, eyes narrowed and brows furrowed. "Why should someone put such a hideous design on themselves?"

" _Huh_?" Yugi blinked at him, shocked by his expression. Then he furrowed his brows and shook his head as he considered him. Why was he so outraged by the design of a shirt? It was tacky, sure, but that didn't merit the hatred on his face. "Um, well…some people really like stripes, Yami."

"Oh." Yami paused and his eyes flicked back and forth between the human and his former hitchhiker. The expression now was thoughtful rather than disgusted. He blinked slowly, tilting his head, and then pressed his tongue into the roof of his mouth for a long moment. Who were stripes _that shade_ of blue-green against white? Of all the colors in the universe to use, why those? And then…the coat that he had draped over his shoulders…why should he wear it like _that_? Yami may not have been very keen upon the thing that humans called fashion, but this was simply disgusting to his eyes and he wanted to shield himself from them even as he could not find the strength to turn away. "Then…shall I guess that you do not?"

Yugi hesitated, then rolled his eyes and tried his hardest not to sound stupid as he muttered, "I hate stripes. They make me look even smaller than usual."

Yami's head snapped around, eyes wide and somewhat horrified. "That's _possible_?"

The smaller teen's face grew bright red. He shot the deity a flustered, dirty look. He wasn't _that_ small, the stupid asshole. But then his eyes shot immediately back to the other figure standing those few feet away. His shoulders rose slightly, instinctively bristling, and he felt the need to recoil and hide.

He almost shivered, but somehow managed to suppress it. And then he wondered for a moment, why it was that he did not feel the same with Yami. He did not instinctively want to recoil. He did not immediately wish to flee from his side. He knew better than to lash out at him and he knew not to anger the other boy, but it had not been impulsive to disappear from his sight…

Had being around him so often helped him to gain a sense of stability towards his energy? Or was it the Puzzle, which promised him protection against Yami should he try to attack him?

In the corner of his eye, the red-eyed teen blinked. His head slowly turned back to the figure as well. His eyes flickered up and down as if he were merely looking at the smaller teen beside him rather than the threat that he knew the being posed. His expression had become completely unimpressed, his bewilderment giving way to boredom. And his lids fell halfway as his lips pursed with obvious disinterest.

For the longest time, Yami merely looked at him like this. Then he slowly tilted his head and the purse in his lips fell away. He blinked slowly. Finally his eyes shot to Yugi and back when the smaller teen did not immediately respond.

"For someone so eager as to speak of such challenge of me, you seem pitifully out of touch as to how to go about doing so." Yami could not help the amusement which filled the undertone of his long drawl. His lips pulled into a lopsided smirk, his head tilting further, and his eyes sparked with laughter. "You lurk in the shadows and then expect me to come to hunt you? Do you know nothing of how to shadow another?"

Yugi felt a shiver rising up his spine. So he glanced at Yami sideways, dread clawing up the back of his throat. His stomach tossed painfully. Why would he begin antagonizing him like this when he wasn't strong enough to defend them in the first place? And why should he do that when they were supposed to be playing a _Shadow Game_ of all things? Did that not completely defeat the purpose of this entire thing?

"You believe I should waste my time shadowing _you_?" the other laughed coldly, voice low and amused. His brown eyes flashed darkly, ringlets of bright purple pulsing around dilated pupils Yugi could not suppress the shiver this time, but thankfully neither of the otherworldly beings paid him any mind.

Yami did not so much as grace him with a blink. And the other being was too focused on the deity to care for a glance towards Yugi. The smaller teen felt safe for the smallest, briefest of moments.

Yami raised a hand, scratching at his neck just beneath his jaw as if he did not bother him in the slightest. The reaction was immediate and the other bristled furiously even as the smallest teen attempted to think straight.

"You should shadow _me_. I am the power, you fool."

"You plan to play with stolen power and wish to place name to my nonexistent fears?" the deity drawled. His eyes were still lazy and colder than ever. He blinked, somehow further unimpressed, and did not raise his eyelids from their half-closed state. "You _worm_. I can make you fold as easily as the wind knocks a leaf from the trees. Do not make me laugh."

"You are too weak to even pose a threat to me now. You're a fool. You fell into a trap so obvious even your _human brat_ would have had the brains to avoid."

Yugi bristled in his defense. His first instinct was to lash out verbally in some vain effort to protect him. But Yami merely chuckled in amusement, cutting away such an impulse.

"You say such a thing but all I have to come see before me is a growing fear which causes you arrogance," he stated calmly, thinking to move forward. But Yugi stiffened beside him visibly when he began to move a leg. So Yami held his weight there, ignoring the urge to step closer as it might make Yugi further unnerved. "You stand before a god and claim power you have no ownership of and expect him to cower? I sense your fear as one does a thunderstorm. One does not challenge a deity with such obvious weakness to boast."

"You speak to me of weakness when you and your human can barely hold yourself upright before me?"

"I have no trouble standing," he returned with a lazy purr of his words. His eyes flickered to Yugi and he smirked slightly in amusement. "He slouches. It makes him look like a hunchback."

" _Yami_!"

"What? It is the truth."

Yugi opened his mouth to shoot him a flustered response, annoyed, but froze instead as realization struck him. A sense of unease had crossed over his instincts. His spine was tight and bunched beneath his skin.

The boy wearing Ryou's face had moved a step closer, snarling loudly in his growing outrage. "You dare to mock me with incessant conversation between the two of you while I stand before you?" he demanded furiously.

Both look-alikes glanced at him. But their focus was hardly on the taller male in front of them. In all reality, Yugi thought that it had not been for the fact that they were both awaiting the moment that he would challenge them, they might never have even seen him. He was threatening, yes, but he tended to fade into the darkness just as he had stalked out of it moments before.

The thought was so startling to Yugi that he had to turn his head to look at Yami in shock. He wished the deity had some kind of answer, would speak in order to mollify him. It seemed unnatural and somehow uncanny that something so drastic crossed his mind like this. He puzzled over it, staring at the red-eyed teen until he looked towards him slowly once more.

But the other boy merely blinked and tilted his head, watching him with a clear question in his eyes. And then, when Yugi could not find the words, those red eyes drifted away as if drawn from him as if the small teen had never existed in the first place.

"No wonder it was so simple to drain you of your energy. You know nothing of the threats posed to you."

"I know a great many things your feeble mind could never _hope_ to comprehend," Yami snapped in a tone that was cold and terrible, yet somehow oddly wistful and earnest as well. Yugi wondered if perhaps he had known those things before, but he could not boast of them now. Perhaps he wanted that more than anything… "You attempt to threaten me and it does not merit the attention you so desperately come to seek from me. Draining me now is nothing of an accomplishment. Face me when my strength has returned to its fullest and then we shall see what power you might possess over me."

"Even in your weakened state you should have come to such knowledge before. Your incompetence proves you to be one of the lesser gods." His lips pulled back into a smirk when Yami blinked and bristled visibly. A soft snarl had begun deep in his chest and Yugi glanced at him sideways. Anxiety had begun to push at his insides, but he did not bother to speak as the two of them continued to stare at one another. It looked like two apex predators were posing to destroy each other the moment the other failed to pay attention. "Yes, one of the lesser gods, surely. One of the weakest and most significant, I know. It is not surprising with your incompetence and uselessness."

"You speak such words as if you might know more than I do. But should I have no recollection, then you have far less to draw upon. A hitchhiker knows nothing of the one they cling to upon escaping. And I know for a fact that my powers are not so terribly limited when I am at my greatest. And I will kill you where you stand when I am given the first opportunity."

"We shall see how long you might last when the Game begins."

"Then _challenge me_! There is no reason for you to continue speaking when I am ready to accept."

There was a long moment of silence. The tension bore heavily upon Yugi's frame, making his body rigid as his stomach tossed violently. Beside him, Yami glared with eyes that looked so dangerous as to be the core of hellfire. And yet, the other's mouth merely pulled into a wider smirk and his brown eyes danced with delighted laughter as he faced Yami fully.

"The game we shall play is that of one which you should have done the moment you realized I had come into existence."

He was purring, watching Yami with open amusement, and Yugi bristled with growing outrage as he looked at him. He was staring at the red-eyed boy as if he were a toy, something for him to use and abuse and cast aside.

And Yugi was _infuriated_.

"I shadow but one person and it shall never be you."

Yugi heard the words with such sharp clarity that it stunned him. He blinked, then felt his head snap around to stare at Yami in stunned silence. His mouth opened and closed once, but he could not find words. And the deity simply tilted his head towards him, his focus on his dumbfounded expression only from the corner of his eye. And Yugi could not stop staring, so shocked that his bones felt like ice beneath his skin.

He swallowed thickly, still too stunned to fully comprehend how foolish he looked. It was shocking to hear him say something of that magnitude. But then he felt his stomach clench.

Yami had said something similar to him within the first few months of coming to cross paths with him, hadn't he?

"Do you forget who I am? Where we are?" he remembered Yami saying in a soft voice. Yugi shivered, feeling sick for a moment as he bit his lip. "I am exactly where I should be. Behind you. As your shadow and your protector, yes? Maybe you should think to ask yourself why always _look back_."

The smaller teen blinked again, shaking away his shock in order to draw in a deep breath. It rattled his insides, but the memory of his words made him feel a small bit better. Yes, he had said something about shadowing himself, even if he had not fully recalled and understood the meaning of such words until that moment.

He bit his lip and quickly turned back to the hitchhiker.

"For this Game, I need a little bit more."

He sprang so quickly that Yugi did not have time to react. Yami, possessing better reflexes and speed than he could ever hope to have, jerked out of the way. But the action left him wide open. He was slammed into from the wide. The impact sent him staggering. His eyes were wide, startled. And his mouth was formed into a snarl.

But the other seemed to simply pass through him.

The red-eyed teen panted. His body burned with pain. His legs threatened to buckle. Every nerve ending was on fire. His head was spinning. The darkness lashed at the edges of his vision. He blinked to clear it but failed.

Yugi was at his side in a heartbeat. His hand grasped his shoulder, supporting him. Yami drew in a deep, ragged breath. Then he forced himself to a more upright position again. He thought to push the small teen's hand away, but could not find the strength necessary.

For the smallest of second she wanted nothing more than to force himself to find some kind of long denied comfort in this unfamiliar action.

But Yami _hated_ touch. He _despised_ the sensation of something brushing against him.

And he _loathed_ the idea of something resting _on top of him_.

And Yugi's hand was _on top of his shoulder_.

It completely encompassed the narrow bone.

He nearly snarled with disgust towards his own desire. But perhaps that was on Yugi's behalf? Maybe he was forcing him to feel the pull towards physical affection because that was how he felt it naturally?

Maybe…

He hissed softly at himself, shaking the thoughts away.

He did not have _time for this_.

"What did he just do?" Yugi demanded in a furious tone. "What the fuck did he just do?"

Yami blinked at him, wondering how long it was he might have been asking that. Had he been repeating the question for a while now? Was that why he was so upset? Was that why he was so frustrated and snapping at him now?

He turned to the white-haired being in front of him. "He just…took my energy." Yami paused, unsure of how better to phrase his next words. "The rest of it, Yugi. He took the _rest of it_."

It was jarring for him to consider. But it was painstakingly horrifying to hear Yugi react in such a similar fashion.

" _What_?"

"He just drained me of all of my magical energy."

Yami felt winded and small, weaker than ever before. And he thought he might damn well cower if he saw more of that shock and horror on the human boy's face. But he turned to him, a slow movement. And the snarl in his throat was low with annoyance, warning him off.

And then he ground his teeth together, his jaw aching from the force of it. He tossed his head angrily when the expression on Yugi's face did not change.

"He has taken the rest of my energy for this Game."

"And from that, I produced _this_."

They both looked up, heads raised in unison. And he wanted him with wide eyes. There was something immediately off that Yugi could not quite place at first. He looked first towards the being, then around him in the immediate shadows beyond his shoulders. But then, as Yugi considered, his insides began to grow cold and hollow. Realization struck him.

He was looking too high to see it.

But, laying on the ground before them, a couple of feet away from the hitchhiker, was a body. It lay splayed on its stomach, a head of hair nearly shielding the details of its shirt. He saw the white color, striking as snow, and then the stripes, though they seemed faded in color.

But he mostly recognized the skin tone, though now it was paler than ever and pristine as snow. The fingers were too long and skeletal and the nails were fractured and chipped…

It was not this that caught his immediate attention, however. It was the fact that the body looked almost completely still.

He looked _dead_.

"Ryou," Yugi breathed, stunned.

He could not move at first. Then he thought to forward and check on him. But he could not fathom moving away from Yami. He was weakened somehow further. Somehow his magic was stolen away entirely. And, despite everything, his loyalty _did_ lay with the deity.

His eyes flickered towards him and he froze.

Yami was merely staring, gaze cold and crystalline with frosted ice. His gaze was that of blood splattered across sheets of ice. But he had not straightened to his full height. And the realization made Yugi feel cold, his nerves aching. Then Yugi turned his head completely to face him, confused and horrified.

Ryou was forgotten entirely in that moment.

The threat in front of them had faded entirely from his mind.

He searched Yami's entire body with his eyes. He struggled to name the wound that had inflicted him, however. He did not look as if he were suffering bodily harm. He appeared exhausted, but he seemed fine beyond that great weariness. When he looked at him in response to his staring, at first it was with absolute loathing and then confusion. Yami blinked at him, puzzled, then abruptly straightened his spine and turned away again once more.

"Yes, the pathetic human who served as my vessel."

"You used my magic to give yourself a body," Yami muttered dismissively, "but it will not last when I win this Game. All circumstances of the Shadow Game fade the moment it is won. Do you not remember that?"

"I do. But you have forgotten that we must both declare wagers in which to win." The purple-eyed figure paused, then smirked at slowly, raising a hand and pointing a long finger at the deity. "Should I win, I will keep every ounce of your magic, and I shall take your body."

The deity blinked at him, visibly startled for the briefest of moment. Then he chuckled long and low, the noise rolling from his throat in waves. "You are a fool to think that you even have a chance at such a victory. You think I should hesitate to lay claim to such a possibility and yet you are terribly mistaken." Yami paused. "Should I win, I will take back my energy in _all_ of its various forms, including _you_ should you be as I assume you are. And I will seal you in that boy's body should you not be. No Shadow Game will allow you another form but that of the bastard beside you."

Yugi's head was spinning as he looked at Yami. His mind was suffocating, he felt, the horror and confusion swelling to peaks that threatened to break him entirely. Yami could not truly be placing his own life and energy on the line just to win, right?

Even Yami wasn't so foolhardy…right?

And what the hell did he mean that he would seal him within Ryou's body should he _not_ he what he assumed he was?

Did Yami still think that he was a fragment of his own magic that had taken on a differing form? Was that _truly_ still a possibility?

Yugi swallowed hard, too horrified to fully consider the implications of such a thought. His head turned towards the other being for a moment, eyes wide. Even Yami thought that perhaps this hitchhiker was a fragment of himself somehow, lost and separated from while he was within the Shadow Realm, the stakes were too ridiculously high.

He knew he would hate him, but he opened his mouth regardless.

"Yami," he stressed, watching as the other boy blinked and turned to him with dark eyes, "you can't just—"

"I do as I wish, however I please. And this Shadow Game shall be won."

He did not repeat his former claims that he would win. The small teen felt the terror rip through him immediately. The horror clawed at his throat and threatened to make him sob. He was either attempting to give the other a false sense of calm or he was admitting now to Yugi that he was not sure he could.

But…

Yami was not so reckless as to place such a wager if he did not assume his ability to win…

Right?

"Let me explain the rules," the purple-eyed creature snickered softly. Both of them blinked and turned back to him, attention divided but focused mildly on him again. "The terms are simple. You and your human, me and mine. The objective is to conquer both teams by any means necessary. There will be three rounds."

"Very well."

"And killing those of the other team means a forfeit."

Yami glanced at the human body that was still lying unconscious on the ground. "I have no need to shed the blood of a bystander drawn so involuntarily into this Game," he replied in a quiet tone. He did not blink but his eyes were displeased. "But know that should physical harm come to Yugi during, the hell you pay will be of my imagining, and you will wish for destruction before I ever assume to lift your suffering."

Yugi's head turned towards him again, startled by the ferocity in his words, shaken by the very statements. The glare on the deity's face was harsh and furious, vicious, as Yugi considered it all.

Did he truly think of him as a weak link?

Or was there another meaning entirely to this declaration?

Yugi truly doubted that there was anything further to it, but he was somehow hopeful despite it all. He did not voice it as the other two stared at each other with such murderous intentions, however. And he suddenly felt small again as the two of them glared at one another.

"Oh, and… _Yami_ , was it?" the other being purred. Yugi's mouth grew dry, but his first response was to snarl in outrage, to spit at him that he had no right whatsoever to call him by such a name. The physical exhaustion was still so clear in his drained form and Yugi was terrified. "Do not think that I do not know you are attempting to withdraw some of your strength. If you should manage to take any, you should hope to the gods higher than yourself that you do not ever come to release it. The moment you use it is the exact moment that the Game shall end and you will declare forfeit."

The deity did not blink. "That's fine."

The purple eyes stared at him with clear perplexity. The smugness was still visible upon his face, but there was a sense of bewilderment beyond it. Then he blinked, purple eyes sharp and cold, and the smirk grew tenfold where it rested upon his face. Abruptly his gaze dropped away and fell upon his human vessel with carelessness.

"As I am using your magic as my own, I do not imagine you will gather much to pose a threat. Nor do I think it will be enough to make me even _consider_ a glance in your direction. But the rules as still there in case it should somehow happen. And I shall not worry much, considering your weakness will hold you at bay." He looked up, watching him with such laughter that Yami bristled and curled his lips back to snarl low in his throat. Yugi shivered, looking between them for a moment. "You are at such odds, are you not? Poor god turned human. I pity you."

His body drew together as tightly as a pulled bowstring. The ferocity in his eyes grew a thousand times greater. He nearly lunged. And his mouth opened partially. But Yugi sensed his movement. And his head snapped around as he shouted a violent, _No, Yami no Yugi_! in his head.

The words themselves were more forceful than the volume. The attack was stunted entirely. His body locked in place. His eyes burned with outrage and hatred. But his body could not move an inch.

The hitchhiker watched for a moment, then smirked wider than ever before. Yugi watched him as he snatched Ryou's prone body effortlessly from the asphalt.

Both sets of look-alikes watched each other for only a moment longer. Then the creature—whatever it was, Yugi still did not know but he thought the name a good one for it—turned. He was all but trotting away with his human counterpart and a stolen body as the two watched blankly.

The moment they drifted from their sight, the small teen touched his shoulder again. Yami jerked, a violent reaction, and Yugi realized then that the deity was horrified and more confused than he himself ever had been. It was clear that some part of his mind was struggling for comprehension.

"Are you okay?" Yugi whispered, feeling his own body shake briefly. Yami stared back at him silently for a long moment. And there was something clearly wrong with his eyes, though in the limited lighting Yugi could not tell what it was.

"I am stripped of all power. I am exhausted. I am playing a Shadow Game with a creature I do not know how to identify." Yami bore his teeth, snarling low in his throat. "I am _far_ from okay!"

Yugi flinched. He expected for a moment that Yami would lash out, claw at him angrily. But the other boy merely turned away.

"I'm sorry."

Yami blinked, then shook his head as his eyes narrowed into slits. When he spoke again, there was strength and power there, but a great and terrible weariness as well. "I am still a god. And I will figure this out. And when I do, I will lay waste to this imposter."


	8. Chapter VIII

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Yu-Gi-Oh!**

 **Warning: So, the same as last time. The cursing should be relatively mild but grows a little more at times, Season 0 Yami whose a bit more unhinged in this story than he was in _Behind You_ , so keep that in mind.**

 **Note: There are various/copious mentions of blood, some graphic images of death, sensual moments and feelings, touches of violence/abuse, slight OOCness but it's due to stress (and it's mostly going to be from Yugi whose going to suffer pretty badly where Yami is involved and choices he makes in order to help Yami), slight touches of depression, possible triggers**

 **Update Schedule: I'm going to try (again) for bi-weekly updates**

 **I'm pretty hard at work keeping up with my update schedule for STB so I'm slacking in every other department. I'm sorry. But I WILL try to get back on track with this story and see to getting to biweekly updates like I'd initially planned. Just remember that my schedule is packed for the most part between updates and work itself. But feel free to give me a little nudge to update at some point if it's been a while. Message me or review asking. I don't care; either one works for me. Just don't be surprised if I can't guarantee the update at a certain time.**

 **I just finished the rewrite for this chapter and I'm not sure that I really got to comb through all of the errors before. If they're terrible, point them out. If not, feel free to ignore them.**

 **I don't really think I need to say it, but just in case, the air pump for a bike would potentially be able to pump an air mattress. The problem with it would be the possibility of keeping it from sliding and dislodging and thus losing air. There would be a pretty high chance of that happening. So that's why it's harder for Ryou to get the air mattress blown up.**

 **The average time for a regular pump to inflate an air mattress is about ten to fifteen or twenty minutes. An electric pump would take about five minutes. And blowing it up with your mouth would take about an hour or more altogether.**

Chapter VIII

"What do you think that even means? That whole idea that we have to… _conquer_ the other team?"

"I do not know."

"He said we should do it by any means necessary but that killing was out of bounds. What do you think—?"

"I do not know."

Yugi blinked slowly, startled by the way the words had gone from a mere grunt to a snarl. He blinked again, stunned when he realized that there was no anger behind them, just the mere speech of those words. He had put no emotion into them and they were dead, stale, as he recounted the way he'd spoken them a second time.

Then he slowly looked over, raising his head and frowning in puzzlement. He did not sit up from his spot on the bed, instead still unsure of moving in such a fashion. If he got too close to Yami, he thought the deity might grow furious. And he did not want to unintentionally hurt him in any way as he had before. He still remembered the way those red eyes had looked so utterly haunted and horrified by his declaration formerly.

Yami was seated at the desk again, unnaturally small and slumped in his position in the chair. His hands were in his lap, his legs drawn together. His shoulders were slouched. His head was angled sideways and downwards. His fingers were twitching and Yugi could see that he was staring at him as if he did not recognize them in the slightest.

"Yami, we need to come up with some kind of plan."

He meant for the words to come out firm, somewhat authoritative. He had meant to make the other raise his head and look at him again. He wanted to see his eyes, if perhaps the red of them was not so dull as they had seemed when his magic had been stripped from him. He wanted to pretend that such a thing was impossible, that he had dreamed that up altogether.

But he could not hold the note and so he sounded much like he felt as he looked over at the taller teen— _pathetic_. His voice was some pitiful plea, and looking at Yami made him feel no better or stronger in that sense. He couldn't think straight as he peered at him, because Yami looked as if he had shrunk visibly and would then continue to do so for the sake of having to disregard his own pains.

But Yugi could not do this on his own.

He knew that.

There was absolutely no way.

He was a human playing against some kind of a…a _beast_ that had somehow managed to subdue a _god_. He knew better than to think for even a moment that he could do this on his own. He _knew_ that he could not.

But, if he had assumed that strength would make the other boy respond, he was wrong. The note of desperation provoked Yami enough to make him raise and turn his head slightly. His red eyes remained on his hands but he cast a somewhat strong illusion of paying him attention now.

"We need to find a way to win."

There was a long minute of silence, one with such thick tension that it made the smaller teen move to sit up as his stomach tossed and his heart leaped into his throat. He tasted blood like he felt the growth of his own horror and he shifted uncomfortably to sit up, eyes wide and terrified.

If Yami had lost hope to win…

He shook it off.

There was no way that the red-eyed deity would have. But he was so despondent in front of him, staring at his hands and refusing to so much as lift his eyes towards his face. He looked sickly in his thin physique, by far unhealthier than Yugi had ever assumed the boy of appearing formerly.

Where was all that passion and anger he knew Yami to possess? Where was all that strength and willpower that so often seemed capable of smothering his own whenever they began to argue? Where was his cunning? His hateful amusement?

Was it all… _gone_?

"What is the point, Yugi?" he finally asked, tilting his head. Now his eyes flickered away from his fingers, disgust relieving them of their study. But he looked to the desk now, staring at what he knew could only be his reflection.

The image to greet him there was a pale silver, almost transparent shape of which he knew to be similar to his own body. The edges of it were softer than they should have been, as if somehow his reflection might still writhe despite his powers being depleted. And now he _could_ , for the first time, truly see that he _did_ appear rather similar to Yugi in looks.

But the red of his eyes was a disgusting milky pink, so washed out that it was hard to remain looking at it. And, as he stared at it, he wanted nothing more than to erase it from existence altogether. It was somewhere in the back of his mind that he thought of the fact that it might be possible. But another part of him was disdainful of the very idea.

Suicide was for humans.

Death was for the gods.

He turned away from it. "It will not win me more than my strength back, which is too little to be satisfying as it is. But what would that do for us regardless, Yugi? Is there a reason for me to want it back? I have no meaning here," he murmured in a soft tone, surprised to find that Yugi was gaping at him with a horrified expression now. "I have such fragmented memory that I cannot tell myself what it was that I once was, nor what I shall do with myself later. What is the point in trying to bring them back when I do not have any understanding of what I am beyond physical stature?"

Yugi tried to shut his mouth, but his jaw fell back open again almost immediately. He blinked, mind stumbling as it tried to find some kind of words for him to speak. He wanted to think of something— _anything_ —which he could tell him to make him feel otherwise. But the truth of it was that he was right.

Yami didn't have a clean memory of what he was before beyond being a god. He had his species in mind and he knew how to use his powers. But he did not have the ability to think back on his own purpose or what it was that _made_ him a god in the first place.

But some part of him was desperate to attempt to console him. It was a stupid, pathetic need inside of him. And he knew it was borne more from his own personal desires than it was for the reassurance of the other boy in question. And so a million different responses tried to crawl their up from his lungs. But none of them would make any sense to a deity with so little understanding of much of the world around him.

Saying that he liked him did nothing.

Saying that he though he thought he was worth it would not make Yami so much as blink.

Saying he cared would most likely make the other boy scoff.

Saying that he gave _him_ a sense of purpose would do nothing but cause him to bristle.

And so Yugi held his tongue, despite the fact that he _knew_ Yami craved more than anything some sense of direction which he might be able to follow. He wanted someone to tell him what to do, if only so that he had a task for that moment in time. It was one of the most transparent things about a god who often guarded every little aspect of himself from Yugi's prying eyes.

He had known since they had first met. Yami had shown him that truth on several instances. He had been desperate, keen for some sense of responsibility beyond Yugi himself.

It was jarring to the smaller teen most often, how those few times Yugi had considered it, he'd found himself unable to shake that conclusion in the slightest. Yami would spring at the opportunity to protect him if it only meant _something to do_. He would push away his hatred long enough to secure Yugi's safety.

Of course, often his actions went too far, however. And he was far more violent than was truly necessary…

But he still _did it_. He still _tried_.

He did it with strength and overwhelming energy. He was passionate about it, flaring to life like embers right before they gave birth to dancing flames. He strived with it, a form so powerful and full of amusement that he could not fathom it ever being extinguished. And yet, looking at him now…

Yugi shook his head slightly to banish the thought. No, Yami was not completely dead. He was… _recovering_. Yugi took this thought and held it as close to his heart as he could. It was the most powerful, all-encompassing idea he thought he had ever come upon in his life. It gave him just enough strength to get to his feet and move over to his side.

Yami still did not glance up but he hadn't truly expected him to.

"Look, Yami… It's going to be okay," he whispered quietly, glancing at his reflection now as well. The sight of it, so pale and almost… _human_ …made his heart pound and rattle within his chest.

 _He's going to be fine. He's going to recover. He's going to be fine._

 _We'll win this._

 _He'll be fine._

We _will be_ fine.

He repeated this mantra for what felt like hours, unsure of what more he might possibly do. But he could not tear his eyes away and the sight did nothing more than upset him. He hesitated and then shook it off. He got to his feet and moved over to the desk in a deliberate fashion, using his palms to hoist himself up onto the desk in order to scoot back and completely shield them both from the reflection.

He needed to focus on Yami.

He needed Yami to focus on him.

He needed to…

Yugi swallowed hard. He hadn't realized that Yami had turned his attention on him, red eyes peering at him almost blindly. The stare was long and distracted, distanced to such a great length that Yugi could do nothing more than try to keep the bile from coming up his throat.

But the sight of his expression also gave him a sense of knowledge as to what it was that bothered Yami about the situation more than anything. And so he embraced the thing that he had blind to formerly while they had been outside.

"It's going to be hard figuring it out all, but I— _we_ can do it. We can fix this. We'll win and maybe that will give us some kind of hint about the purpose you're looking for. I highly doubt that you are being punished for something." He raised a brow, nearly scoffing, and then smirked playfully. "I don't think the other gods have anywhere _near_ enough strength to punish someone like _you_."

Yami blinked. And then he tilted his head, his lips tugging slightly. But they were pulling downwards and the way his eyes narrowed made Yugi nearly flinch.

"You're a lot stronger than anyone I've ever met. The fact that you just accepted this Game when you could have easily just gone into hiding instead says a _lot_ more than you're willing to give yourself credit for." He was hideously aware of just how much of a gamble it was that he was taking in proclaiming such a thing to begin with. "And you're so headstrong that I doubt any god in _any_ mythology could match your will or strength. And what could you have done to be punished? You're definitely not always the nicest, but you're never unjust."

When Yami merely stared at him with that same expression, Yugi struggled to think straight. He kicked his legs out of nervousness, a childish thing that he could not remember doing in _years_. The deity did not respond to the physical action, though he did look at the direction of which he sent them as if he might have thought he would lash out and kick him.

"The only gods I ever heard of in mythology that were punished was when they went against someone more powerful. Zeus punished Poseidon often because he liked to play tricks. And Aphrodite was punished by Hera—I _think_?—for her adultery with Ares. Most gods were punished because of a power higher than theirs was upset. I don't think there's a single one that's stronger than you."

Yami watched him for a long moment, then snorted softly and turned away with a shake of his head. "That is a nice gesture, albeit foolish and childish, to attempt to alleviate my frustration," he commented with a disdainful sniff. Yugi could see his eyes flickering about the room for a moment as he sought his next words. "But I do not believe that it is working in the slightest."

"It wasn't to alleviate anything. I'm serious."

"And you are disgustingly naïve to declare such a thing." Yami turned to him with a harsh glint in his eyes now, fury making them sharper than every. "Whatever that creature may be, he is right, Yugi. With the black hole that seems to have replaced my memories, I do not recall what kind of god I might have been. I do not know for sure that it will ever come to me fully what I have done or what it is that I was created for. I could damn well be one of the lesser gods. For fuck's sake, I could be as low as Morpheus."

"Morpheus?"

The puzzlement in his tone made Yami pause in his angry tirade. He blinked, then tilted his head as he stared at Yugi, searching his face for any sense of the possibility that he might be joking. When he found none, his mouth grew dry and his mind was wreathed with embitterment.

He turned away, drawing in a deep breath to keep from snarling.

Of course this foolish boy would spout things about the higher beings in Greek mythology and miss the smaller ones. Everyone could do that kind of thing, he supposed, but that was because those lesser gods were not worth the time it took to memorize them. He was almost amazed at that moment that he himself remembered the lowly deity as it was.

"The sandman," he finally said, muttering the words and closing his eyes tightly. He had nearly forgotten what it was that the damn god even did to begin with. "Morpheus is the _sandman_. He gives you sleep and bestows restful dreams or hideous nightmares. He was created only for this purpose."

And so he was useless beyond that.

"That's a pretty big job to do though, Yami—I mean, think about it. He has to put _billions_ of people and animals to sleep."

 _And what a great purpose that is,_ Yami thought dryly, nearly shaking his head spitefully. But he knew nothing else. There was no other purpose he possessed. If he were to have to put animals and people to sleep, he was constantly at work. And he did not have other powers with which he could subdue the potential problems to accrue later. Had the humans not risen up against the Greek gods in some myths and fables? And what had Morpheus done then? Putting them to sleep could hardly be effective then.

He closed his eyes tightly.

"I would much rather be Hades. At least he was able to sit on his throne and enjoy his Underworld." He opened his eyes after a moment, looking over at him again with a melancholic gleam to his gaze. "I say these things as if I might be one of them but I am unsure if they had ever once existed. I have so little memories of before your bringing me here or being in the Shadow Realm and I can no longer recall…"

"It doesn't matter if you remember or not, Yami," the smaller teen stated firmly, shaking his head. He was aware that Yami was too tired to argue with him now, but had it been any other day, he would have all but destroyed him in that sense. But now the other boy seemed hardly to care to so much as hear himself or Yugi speak. "You will be okay. You'll get bloodied but you'll come out unbowed. That's the way of the gods, right?"

Yami blinked slowly, startled by the words. Then he snorted and tilted his head, smirking as he considered him. "You are an absolute imbecile. What would you ever know about the gods?" he stated with something that was between fond amusement and bitter resentment. He turned away after a moment, looking down at his hands in his lap. He flexed his fingers and examined the nails that glinted beneath the lamplight from the nightstand. "It is strange, but I suppose I was expecting something more to change beyond my already pitiful reflection. Perhaps I thought my form would no longer be as it is, proportioned or easily recognizable."

Yugi shivered but did not answer, looking immediately away to the window.

If he had never known his face prior, Yugi would never have recognized him to begin with. He did not _look_ like _Yami_. He didn't look like the deity that had so arrogantly challenged him with the declaration that Yugi needed him to survive. He did not look like the boy who had shared his bed with him and subsequently punched him in the fact when he'd woken him from his sleep. He did not look like that boy in the slightest.

He looked small and defeated and weak.

He looked miserable and pathetic and beaten.

He looked as if his will had been broken and scattered away as his magic had been stolen from him.

He seemed like a mere shell of the deity that had once threatened to kill Anzu for kissing him on the cheek. He did not possess that same fire, that stubborn and hostile amusement that made his eyes harder and yet somehow softer all at once. He seemed simply as if he might have somehow died on the inside, folding inward.

And the color that was his eyes had begun to split with spirals of black, forks of lightning that came from the starburst pupils and splintered his irises hideously.

But, as Yugi glanced at him again after a long minute, he thought that more than ever Yami looked as if he were _mourning the loss of himself._

* * *

Yugi knew it was unfair that he was standing in front of him like this at the moment. And it did not help that he was glaring at him—because he just _knew_ he was; he'd been unable to wipe the scowl off his face since he'd left the house. But he could not stop himself and he felt sick as he thought of the damage that was being done to the three of them.

He drew in a deep breath.

Ryou looked sickly, uncomfortable and terrible nerve-wracked. Yugi imagined that he himself would have looked the same in his place had he their circumstances been more alike.

Because, unlike with Yami, Yugi imagined that he probably did not know what had happened to begin with. And he had no idea what might have come from the hitchhiker performing such a ritual. And Yugi himself had no idea what might have happened as an after effect of such a thing, if perhaps it had somehow caused residual damage to Ryou as well.

And he thought he similarly would be disconnected to the various things happening around him.

"How much do you remember of the last few days?" he asked quietly. He forced his shoulder into the door to push it open enough to allow him to step into the small apartment. He waited for Ryou to speak for a few moments, then slowly looked over his shoulder. He had expected, for a brief moment, that the other boy might have fled. But instead the door had been shut and the white-haired teen was leaning against it, eyes shut tightly as if the pressure had broken him much like it had Yami.

When Yugi stepped a little closer the other boy jumped and looked at him with wide eyes that bordered on panicked and hysterical in expression. The smaller boy halted, unsure of what more to do than step back; Ryou stared back at him with eyes the shade of coffee with amber around his pupils. It was a beautiful shade, with a rather stunning effect, and it struck him for the briefest of seconds. But his mind was already wandering again.

He had things to do. Admiring someone's eyes was not going to fit into his busy schedule.

"How did you…? Are you…?" The brown eyes flickered across his form rapidly, looking him up and down before Yugi could think straight. But he seemed dissatisfied with whatever conclusion he had come across and the smaller teen was struck by the fact that he was looking for physical signs of a misery to match his.

If he hadn't been wearing his school uniform, Ryou would have seen arms _riddled_ with immense bruises. He would have seen the sharper design of his shoulders where he'd lost some of the muscle due to stress. But he was far more emotionally drained than he was physically, and the state that Yami was in did nothing to help him bounce back from it.

"Did I hurt you?"

Yugi shrugged dismissively, unable to face him any longer. He narrowed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, voice curt as he answered, "It doesn't matter." It didn't. He could not have cared less should it have been him to be harmed. At the rate that his life seemed to be going, after all the bullying that he had endured growing up, being beaten physically now would simply be something an embrace with an old lover. "So, what do you remember?"

He asked so calmly that for a moment Ryou thought perhaps the worst thing could have possibly happened would have been that they had made out or something. Yugi spoke as if it were nothing more than idle chitchat and nothing phenomenal had happened. And maybe for Yugi this was normal but for him?

"Not…uh, not much." He frowned at him noticeably. And then he tilted his head, narrowing his eyes as Yugi puffed his cheeks out and turned to him again. "I… There's a pretty huge black spot in most of my memories right now. I don't think I remember anything from the last couple of days, honestly."

Yugi nodded and glanced over at a painting on the wall. It was some kind of Victorian design, a man with dark hair and a sharp jaw dressed in a dark red coat with a ruffled undershirt. And it made him blink as his mind momentarily pictured Yami in the outfit. The thought nearly brought a grin to his face, as he was sure the deity would have sneered at him for the very idea.

Instead he turned back to Ryou again. He wondered at the way he should phrase it to preserve Yami's sense of power, to protect his weakness, but he was not sure there was any true way to do so. This was the only solution he could come up with at the moment…

"Then let me go ahead and explain what actually _is_ happening, okay?" he announced. His eyes darkened a shade as his frustration grew. His lips pulled downward into a grimace much like the scowl he had worn upon knocking on his door. He drew in a deep breath, then hesitated again.

What were the odds of Ryou truly trying to harm Yami? Would he do so if they were in the same room together? What if he left them alone for a moment and came back to a similar situation of what had happened with the deity and his mother those few days ago?

What would happen to _Ryou_ if Yami got the bright idea to lash out? Would he simply kill him? He shook the thought off, swallowing hard. Now wasn't the time to worry about this, he knew. He would have plenty of time to do that later.

"I brought Yami here with the Puzzle. He has been here for a few months now but he's getting weaker than ever. And that's because of that… _thing_ that controlled you before. It has something to do with it. It's been…leeching off of Yami's power somehow. The thing that controlled you before…came from the Ring. Now there's this… _trial_ of some sort called a Shadow Game." Yugi ignored the urge to snap at him now, feeling as if he were betraying Yami in a manner that none of them would be capable of fixing. And so he drew in a deep breath, trying his hardest to focus again. "You play it and you _pretty much_ die if you lose. Yami is betting a _lot_ of things on this Game."

Ryou blinked at him, brown eyes growing wide at the declaration that followed.

"And I have a _lot_ that I have to put at stake in order to help him now."

When Yugi stepped closer, the other boy stepped back and into the wall, eyes wide and horrified. The smaller teen curled his lip, the expression one that might have made him nervous if he were not already too unnerved to do more than gape at him. Now Yugi stared at him as if he might throw him through the wall, a harsh certainty in his expression that made Ryou realize that he was willing to do _anything_ to get ahead.

The thought was stunning to him as he stared back at him.

"And you're going to help me."

"What?" he snapped, eyes widening further. "I don't want to—"

"Well, isn't that so fucking sad? You're _already_ involved, whether you like it or not." Yugi hesitated for a moment, drawing in a deep breath to help suppress some of the anger that threatened to bubble out. He narrowed his eyes into slits and shook his head. There had to be another way to understand, right? He had to find the alternative to simply punching him in the face and dragging him out of the apartment and to his house. Because he was only _seconds_ from doing just that.

But there had to be an easier way. Yugi couldn't afford to mess something up by hitting him and potentially breaking some kind of stupid rule within the Game or something. He didn't know enough to make any moves for sure. And so he simply looked away for a moment, chewing the inside of his cheek.

He could guilt him into agreement. He could guilt him into coming over to his side in this Game. He could do it. He knew that much. It was not hard for him to do such a thing in the slightest.

"Ryou…" He turned back to him now, making his voice more urgent. "This thing came from your body and it is wearing a face that's _extremely_ similar to yours. Imagine this, okay? If it kills someone, it will be _you_ that someone points the finger at."

The other boy was frozen in place, eyes wide and horrified.

Yugi fought away the urge to let his happiness show on his face. He had not expected the fight to be won so quickly, but the thought of jail time was usually enough to scare someone regardless. And he was not the least bit ashamed to say that he would have reacted in the exact same manner had it been his life in question.

"Get it? Good." He turned to the door anxiously but quickly rearranged his features. He did not need Ryou to see how scared he was at the moment. Yami would be okay at his house for a few minutes more; being alone right now was probably better for him as it was. But then… He shook the thought off. No, Yami would be fine. "Now, the rules of the Game we're playing right now are that we have to…capture the other team. _Alive_. Which means that no one is going to get hurt, okay? Yami and I are basically going to babysit you until the Game is over with. It'll be great—a fun time, absolute party. You'll have the _time of your life_ , I promise. You'll even get to see how much of a bitter asshole he is."

Ryou blinked wide eyes at him, startled by the last handful of words. Then he grimaced and shook his head, bewildered as Yugi began to look around. "Why are you going to help him if he's such an ass to you?" he finally asked when he realized that the smaller teen would not elaborate on the situation without prompting.

In an instant the smaller teen's head snapped towards him. His expression was fierce and annoyed. "Because, I keep _fucking up_ left and right with him and now I'm going to do the one thing I _know_ will actually _help him_." Yugi paused, furrowing his brows as he took in the other boy's expression. Ryou looked stunned, as if his honesty might have touched on a nerve that he was not expecting him to come across. His eyes were incredibly wide with his confusion and something about the amber around his pupils made Yugi feel almost sick to his stomach. "Just come on. I don't want to have to do anything drastic. But I'm not afraid to lay you out and drag you to the house."

For a moment he seemed skeptical of the idea. And then he blinked when he saw the clear warning in his eyes. "Uh, no…uh, I-I'll come." He hesitated. "I thought you were a pacifist, though. That's what Joey said anyways…"

Yugi snorted. "Not if I'm trying to help someone I care about," he answered, though he flashed him a grateful grin and opened the door. He wanted, for the smallest of seconds, to simply fall to his knees and thank the gods for this small mercy. And he wished that everything in this Game—and his life in general—could be so easy.

* * *

Yami was not initially sure what it was that had diverted his attention. For the better part of the hour he'd been staring at a book, reading it comfortably and without worry. And then he'd felt something tell him to look up. And so he did so, considering the sight in front of him. For a moment he craned his neck out, tilting his head drastically, fingers pressing on the pages almost painfully enough to snap his own bones.

He thanked his keen senses, however, because at least now he understood what the hell it meant to not believe his own eyes. He'd thought he'd seen everything at one point or another. Hell, he'd _done_ a few things that might make Yugi cry.

But now he blinked and tilted his head further, peeling his lip back and narrowing his eyes in bewilderment.

Yugi was trotting forward into the room, head held high. His shoulders were raised and he was all but _skipping_ in his triumph. That was the word, Yami knew, because he could feel the smallest inkling of such victory beneath his skin. But it was the fact that he had someone's arm in his hand and was pulling them into the room that made him stop short. But when he recognized the form, Yami had the impulse to leap to his feet.

It was simply the fact that he _knew_ he was not in the state of which he might be able to fight back that kept him seated there. He swallowed hard and looked back and forth between the two humans. And the thought of fighting, the realization that he could not do so, was powerful enough as to make him want to bury himself under the blankets and avoid seeing them both altogether.

His reflexes had not slowed. But he was well aware that the strength in his body was not as wired as it had been when he still had magic. He could inflict some heavy damage, but it would be more mundane than the usual. He would have to aim and find the moment of opportunity. He would probably bleed far worse than ever as well should he engage in physical combat in this state.

So, instead, he forced himself to let loose the tension in his muscles and stare at the two figures in front of him blankly. He did not bother to say anything further, instead tilting his head and looking at Yugi pointedly.

The smaller teen dropped a large box in the corner of the room, where there would be enough space and the door would not collide with the newcomer's housing situation. Then he caught sight of a long pole, a metal cylinder of some kind, with a length of rubber and thread and a metal head.

Yami considered it for a moment, a thought forming in his head, but shook it off. It did not look like something that would be used in one of Yugi's explicit videos. That was nothing that he could imagine someone wanting to put in their—

"It's an air mattress," the smaller teen announced to him when he saw his puzzled and fascinated expression. Yugi cast him a look that could almost be classified as warm as he considered him. But Yami nearly bristled when he saw the amusement there, the way that he seemed both flustered that he had to explain and yet patient enough that he would not judge him for his missing knowledge. "The other is a pump for him to blow it up with. It's so that when he sleeps on the floor it's more comfortable."

The red-eyed teen blinked at him and tilted his head once more. He recalled immediately a similar conversation that the two of them had had a week or two prior. When he had begun sleeping on the floor, Yugi had offered him the same accommodation and had even appeared visibly upset when Yami had denied a desire for it.

But he had not argued with him about it. Instead he had allowed the deity to sleep as he'd desired, curled up on the floor with a pillow and a blanket so that he might cover himself. He had not gone into detail as to what it was that his dismissal of the item might have made him so incredibly anxious. His insides had curled at the very mention of the idea. And he had not had the strength to expose yet another weakness to the smaller boy.

Because he was so unstable at times that when he'd woken on the bed he'd been in a near panic. The mattress was too soft and it sank too comfortably beneath their weight. It made him feel as if he were being swallowed up in preparation to be eaten alive. And that was enough to make him realize that he needed something firm and stable beneath him, something that would never change its shape or form beneath his touch.

The ground was the only truly constant axis in his mind. It was always flat. It always allowed him to readily brace himself should he have to. If he were to take that away, his lungs would constrict and the panic would build in his veins and he could not so much as think straight should such a thing come to happen. Then he would feel pain spike through his whole body. And his chest would ache for hours upon wakening. And he could not fight away the dizziness as the world spun and he struggled to stay in an even slightly upright position.

Even with the clearly superimposed smile that marked the face of the person laying on the air mattress, Yami had not been able to convince himself that the air mattress would be a stable and comfortable place to rest.

He shook the thought off when he noticed that the brown eyes had wandered to them.

The white-haired boy was taking the mattress from the box but Yami could sense that his attention was caught upon them as well. Yami tilted his head, a pensive expression crossing his face, and he shot him a warning glance that told him to heed caution upon looking at him. The boy flushed and ducked his head, grumbling something that the deity assumed to be a curse word.

"He's spending the duration of the Game with us," Yugi explained as he moved to take a seat on the bed beside him. Yami turned his head and looked at him slowly, puzzled and alarmed by the very idea. He cast a small quick glance at the white-haired boy again but Yugi simply stared at Yami as if he were the only person in the room. As the deity turned back to him, his dark red eyes grew bemused. Yugi was watching him with a slightly amused but nervous expression that spoke of clear anxiety as if he were fearful of Yami's reaction to this new development. "That way we have one of the other team, as the rules stated."

Yami blinked again, a long and rather slow movement. Then he turned his head to glance over at the white-haired boy with amused eyes. Ryou was looking at them pointedly now, curious as to what they were talking about. The deity's lips began to pull up into a wide smirk.

"What if I decide we need to fuck?" he demanded in a low drawl, snorting in amusement as he was given the exact reaction that he had once expected. The white-haired teen's pale face lit up bright red, all the way to his thin collarbones, and he froze from his attempt to lay the mattress out on the floor. Ryou let out a soft choking noise which caused Yami to snicker and Yugi to smile in amusement.

He was still watching the newcomer when he ducked his head and grumbled about how much of an asshole the two of them were. Then he shook his head with that same flushed expression, white hair showing his movements easily.

The red-eyed teen burned back to face Yugi now; his eyes grew wide with surprise as he saw what awaited him there. Yugi was looking at him with something that Yami felt suspiciously could have been much akin fondness. But he could not truly name such a thing, as he was sure that the expression was not something that he himself had ever fully seen before.

He knew this expression only from glimpses into Yugi's various dreams. He knew them only from a few instances in which he had witnessed a familial moment or it might have been that Tea was looking at him.

But he did recognize something else within his eyes—bright laughter. He could see that. And it made him feel far calmer than his previous thoughts, his breath no longer caught in his lungs and choking him at the very idea.

"Then we have him drag the mattress out into the living room and have our way with each other," he stated. He was teasing him, but there was also a rather serious note within his expression that made the other pause and blink in open surprise once more. "As loudly as we want."

"Oh _bloody hell_."

Both of them snickered in unison as they caught the sound of Ryou's startled, frustrated whisper. Yugi winked at Yami playfully, reaching over after a moment. The deity stiffened visibly, eyes widening further, but he did not attempt to push him away in any manner. So Yugi's fingertips brushed over his cheek, caressing the soft skin for only the briefest of seconds. There was something gentle and patient there, like the affection of a parent looking at their child.

It made him bristle.

But then Yugi turned away to look at their newcomer as he struggled with the task of blowing the mattress up. His blue-violet eyes were burning with laughter. Yami hesitated, caught somewhere between relief and disappointment to find that Yugi was no longer paying him attention. And so he finally turned away as well, looking towards the white-haired boy in the corner.

He was tempted then to ask Yugi what it was that made him simply sit back and watch. It seemed rather uncharacteristic for him from what he understood of the small teen. It seemed that Yugi would have thought to help him upon seeing someone struggling with a task. Yugi was one of the few altruistic souls on earth, one to run headfirst into a conflict with nothing more than a desire to help those he deemed necessary of it.

Yami supposed he had to be somewhat thankful for that, in truth. He had offered to help him long before he had ever even attempted to think to ask for it, after all.

His eyes caught Ryou's for a brief second as he huffed and then glanced at them. No doubt their snickering had caught his attention once more. Yami blinked at him, smirking in amusement, but something about the way his brown eyes flickered made him stiffen. And so he frowned after a brief second. He tilted his head, narrowing his red gaze, and considered him darkly.

There were gears moving behind the other boy's eyes.

And Yami was not sure that he cared even slightly for the direction that they might be turning.

Ryou did not seem malicious at any rate, however.

But there was still something there…

Yami turned away again quickly. He glanced at Yugi, seeing that the smaller teen was grinning lopsidedly. For a long while the white-haired boy continued to struggle with his air mattress. And then he finally seemed satisfied enough to lie down. He rolled over with his back to them, but Yami could still hear him grumbling about how much of an asshole they both were.

"I took the pump out of the box," Yugi whispered softly, abruptly, into his ear. Yami flinched away from him as if he had been struck, the close proximity startling him. The red-eyed teen spun on him again, blinking wide eyes, feeling sick to his stomach. Then he blinked and furrowed his brows at the smaller teen. But Yugi pretended not to notice his panic, keeping his voice low as he explained further. "The one I gave him was to a bicycle. I am not even sure how he managed it."

Yami chuckled softly, remembering vaguely a conversation that he had with him about something similar. Yugi had explained to him that he would have set up the air mattress with the pump within the box, that he would have it set up within fifteen to twenty minutes altogether. He had mentioned bikes in the meantime, however, something about a childhood memory that he had not fully indulged upon seeing Yami's bewilderment. Then he had explained that they both required two entirely different pumps. He had said that the end pieces were different, that they performed two different purposes due to their designs.

* * *

Yami woke to Yugi's head on his chest. It was almost a smothering sensation to realize upon first waking. He was almost startled enough to pant and push him away entirely. He was exhausted and horrified, feeling almost as if he might vomit at any moment.

Then he realized that he was simply curled up against him. Their legs had gotten tangled and it had startled him as well. But that had always happened. He recognized that sensation easily enough.

It was something that never failed when they slept within the same bed. They would always become tangled and intertwined together. Sometimes they would be in a position that was much like the one which Yugi had once called "spooning", one or the other pressed against the chest of the person behind them. Other times they were tightly entangled, legs and arms caught beneath around each other's and things of that nature.

But this time he recognized the position rather quickly.

His arms were wrapped around Yugi's torso. His fingers were braced against his spine, between his shoulder blades. His legs were tightly folded and tangled about Yugi's own. It was unnerving at first, but the realization came to him that Yugi had not moved in any way as to restrain him. He had not been attempting to hurt him in any way, either. The deity blinked and shifted his weight, drawing his arm away as Yugi pulled his own from beneath the pillow.

The red-eyed teen blinked and tipped his head to the side curiously. Yugi blinked a flash of blue-violet eyes which greeted him warmly. The small teen was clearly wide awake, staring at him closely.

"Hi."

The deity blinked at him slowly once more. "Why are you awake?"

"You were twitching a few minutes ago," Yugi answered, looking at him with those same warm eyes. "I figured that I would check on you when you woke up."

"Oh." Yami paused and tilted his head a little further. "Well I am okay, I believe. I am tired."

"Okay."

Yugi pulled away from him and the deity released him immediately. He untangled their legs and swallowed hard with searching his face. Then he watched the taller teen as Yami dug his arm up and beneath the pillow, blinking at the other boy. Yugi pressed his own face into the soft material of the pillow, closing his eyes tightly.

Yami watched him for only a moment longer, his red eyes searching his face rapidly. It was odd to study the taller teen, though now Yugi felt winded once more. He was watching a tall teen who looked smaller than he had ever seen him before. When he stared at him with those blackened, lightning-forked eyes, Yugi found himself shivering. He could not hold it back, the sense of despair and bewilderment which came through him. Instead he swallowed hard again and looked briefly over the deity's shoulder.

"Ryou has been passed out for the last couple of hours," he told him quietly. He stared at the form on the other side of the room, then looked quickly to Yami again. "I think whatever it was that happened with whatever that thing _is_ really managed to drain him too."

"Well, he _did_ form an entirely new body in order to play this Game. It had to have been painful for him as well." Yami did not speak about this further for a long moment. He tipped his head towards him for a moment, studying him for a long while in the darkness. There was something about his expression that was unreadable, something which Yami himself could not understand in the slightest. But he could not place it and so he simply studied a moment longer.

It was possible that he was simply seeing things.

It was possible that he was simply becoming increasingly paranoid due to the Game.

He did not _truly_ know what might be going on.

"I must admit that I was rather surprised you did not come to offer him the bed," he said wryly, watching and searching his face with a small smirk of amusement. "I would have expected you to make us sleep on the floor instead."

Yugi shook his head slowly. "I wouldn't do that to you." He paused and laid his head a little further into the pillow. His eyes grew sharper than ever, darker than Yami had ever quite seen before. They glittered briefly like gemstones and the deity began to feel almost sickened. There was something so terribly _estranged_ in Yugi's eyes, though he had no thoughts to conceivably explain it. "And he would not be here if I didn't plan on winning this Game."

The taller teen looked at him more fully for a long moment. "Do you honestly think the odds are favorable enough?" he asked slowly. He felt sick, afraid of his own words as he considered the chances of loss. It would be so easy for them to be pushed into a corner and choked of their chances…

Yami's potential demise was not something he truly wanted to consider. It was nothing that he thought himself capable of fully taking into account and not lashing out at. The very concept was far too strange for him.

How was an immortal being truly meant to contemplate their own mortality?

He wanted to puke at the very concept. He was meant to be unaffected by time or age or anything even remotely of the scope of human life. Sickness was meant to be a mere infliction that a god bestowed upon a creature far beneath them. There was nothing in their living stature that was meant to be altered by such a simple concept.

Time was not something Yami could tell. And he did not affect him the same way as it did Yugi. That was true. But it should never have had an effect of any kind at all.

He frowned at his own thoughts, pushing them away in order to hear his human charge's answer. Maybe Yugi could keep his thoughts from drifting down the wrong path as they were so constantly now…

"No…but we can _tip them there_."

Yami's frown deepened. It made sense that Yugi would deny it at the moment. There was no reason to say that they were winning. He nodded after a moment. The idea that he had to place his faith in a human was almost more jarring than the sensation of his skin being split and oozing blood. He thought of the glint of a knife, the gaping wound of muscle and veins and blood. And he remembered faithfully then and there his own torturing Ushio.

He blinked at the thought, jaw clenching briefly. He had never bled so much in his life. He had never once experienced such a concept before. Or perhaps he had not in such a way, in truth. It was somehow helpless to call upon such sensation again at such a moment.

But he shook it off again.

Yugi was right.

They could tip the odds in their favor. If there was nothing else he knew himself to excel at, it was the art of adapting to situations that he could not outwardly change. He did not know how to work a game in his favor, whether it was video or board or card.

And he had been so easily matched more often than not by the human laying in front of him.

The boy could easily beat video games in half the time it took most others. He had a knack for puzzles and a cunning ability to solve riddles in his first try. His ability to pull things in his direction, no matter how bleak the damage appeared… It was a _beautiful_ thing that Yami had found himself admiring despite himself.

He could be with only a single digit to his health points. And yet, somehow, he would turn it around in order to win within minutes. Sometimes it even took mere _seconds_.

And he was intelligent.

Yami knew that, even if he often made him feel as if he was not. It was not always on purpose that he did it, but he knew and recognized the moments that it happened. Sometimes he would say something in such a way that it would come about as offensive to the smaller boy despite not realizing his tongue had gotten ahead of him yet again. He would send him extremely hurt looks that would simply startle Yugi and when he met them head on, he was forced to surrender to his will and turn away within seconds.

Then, very slowly, with as much precision as he could muster, he would find his way around to begin a small conversation with the other boy. Yami would attempt his hardest to bridge that hideous gap which he had brought to form between them, a fissure which threatened to shape itself there beneath their feet. And he knew it was the smaller things such as those that managed to make Yugi more comfortable with him after such painful moments.

While he contemplated this, watching Yugi and wondering at the idea of victory towards the Game, the small teen found his thoughts on something completely different. His eyes had turned away from Yami. They glittered still in the deep darkness, focusing entirely on the shape in the corner of the room. His thoughts had become twisted. They wrapped themselves mercilessly around each other in endless loops. But he felt that he was incapable of these things within his thoughts…

But he remembered Yami's influence on him now as well.

He had felt something distinctly similar, though hideously dark as they were. The darker trains of thought had been brought through exposure to him. But they seemed to taper off and almost completely dissipate after a few weeks of direct contact with him.

But now they were surging forth. And he hated himself for them.

Because, watching the way he breathed in and out so easily, Yugi wanted nothing more than to kill the teenager resting in the corner of his room. Beside him, Yami's own breathing was incredibly steady, but there was _still_ that occasional _terrible shudder_ in his chest.

And it scared Yugi.

It horrified him.

It was _terrifying_ to hear it.

He wanted nothing more than to somehow offer him the strength to make it heal. He wished with everything in him that he might be able to push its inabilities aside. But he did not know how.

And he had no idea how it was that he was meant to fix this.

And, as he looked at the corner of the room again, Ryou seemed _perfectly fine physically._ Despite his surroundings, he even appeared to be _dreaming easily_. Meanwhile, he himself was clinging to the red-eyed teen in order to check his breathing. He was desperate to know that Yami still possessed a heartbeat.

Yugi was trying his hardest to make sure that the other did not somehow slip away between his fingers despite it all. He was struggling pitifully with the task of not alerting him to his intentions as well.

And he knew Yami was trying his hardest not to lash out.

He could see it in his face when he'd woken so close to him like this. He had seen it when the deity had jumped so violently when Yugi had whispered in his ears. His eyes had flashed violently. He had recoiled violently, only managing then to keep from throwing out a hand to inflict pain on him.

Yugi knew that.

He _recognized_ it.

Because his body was far too tense.

And his sleepiness would be gone in an instant.

He watched Ryou for a moment. And he considered, for the briefest of seconds, getting up, wandering into the kitchen for a knife. He would butcher him simply and easily. He could stab him to death before he'd even wake completely if he only tried to find a vein of any kind.

It remembered there only for a brief second, however.

But he recognized it.

And he knew it.

Yugi shivered. His eyes snapped to the deity in front of him. His desire had been short-lived yet so incredibly sharp. The force of it had physically winded him. He wanted to ask if he had experienced anything similar.

But he saw that his eyes were closed again. He was not fully asleep yet, but he was drifting closer than he had been before.

He must have truly been exhausted.

Yugi shook the thought off, then looked toward Ryou for a brief second once more. He shivered and the movement made Yami twitch but did not draw him from his sleepiness. He knew for a fact that Yami had not planted those thoughts in his head, though he had not expected him to have in the first place.

The feeling of desiring violence had been borne from himself, his own desires. He was upset with the rules of the Game, despaired with Yami's lack of identity as it had begun to grow so much achingly deeper.

And he wanted nothing more than to fix it all.

And to fix it, he had to _save Yami_.

And in order to do that, he had to _win_.

Yugi blinked slowly and looked at Ryou again. It was a brief consideration but now he frowned and narrowed his eyes. Something about the Game must have been influencing his thoughts. Because, should he harm Ryou, that meant that they would surely lose. Because, Yugi knew, should he hurt him now, he wouldn't stop until it was too late.

And he could not afford such a thing.


	9. Chapter IX

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Yu-Gi-Oh!**

 **Warning: So, the same as last time. The cursing should be relatively mild but grows a little more at times, Season 0 Yami whose a bit more unhinged in this story than he was in _Behind You_ , so keep that in mind.**

 **Note: There are various/copious mentions of blood, some graphic images of death, sensual moments and feelings, touches of violence/abuse, slight OOCness but it's due to stress (and it's mostly going to be from Yugi whose going to suffer pretty badly where Yami is involved and choices he makes in order to help Yami), slight touches of depression, possible triggers**

 **Update Schedule: I'm going to try (again) for bi-weekly updates**

 **SO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE! Life is hard, I got distracted, and things just keep getting fudged up. I only have a set schedule for one story (because it's a hell of a lot less involved than this or STB) so I can't promise a regular updating pattern just yet. I will DEFINITELY be attempting to get back into one when things have cleared up again, however.**

 **Anyways, I just got around to finishing rewriting this chapter so it's just finished and probably still has some errors in it that I didn't notice. Feel free to point them out if they're terrible, otherwise feel free to ignore them.**

 **And so here begins part II~**

Chapter IX

Yugi woke to the drifting hiss of a whispering voice within his ear. It was low and inaudible almost. The words were almost completely silent but for the tail end within his ears. But his grogginess was rapidly leaving, his concentration on hearing those words clearing his mind almost immediately. He blinked, the words stroking at his senses again.

But it was only as the third repetition came to him that he understood them. The words made his blood run cold, his stomach churning and his heart in a vice grip. He blinked slowly and looked at the wall he was facing with a horrified expression. He did not want to turn around and let Yami see that he was awake just yet. To do so would have crushed him entirely…

But his heart was pounding his chest and his lungs were twisting painfully. The words were terrible, a mistake that should never have been spoken. Yugi stared at the wall, trying to force himself to breathe evenly again.

The voice was so low and solemn when it repeated the words again. And he wished he could have missed it then. He scrunched his eyes shut tightly and fought the urge to grab at his hair and pull until he couldn't anymore. If he had never taught himself formerly to pay attention to that deep baritone voice upon Yami starting to stay there, he would have missed it entirely. But it had been necessary to pay him attention when he slept in the same room as him. He'd been scared that his mom or grandpa might hear him before he did and so he'd rushed to familiarize himself with it enough to pick it up even when Yami was mumbling under his breath…

"I am as weak as the average human."

The despair in Yami's tone tugged at his heart. Yugi blinked his eyes open again. He felt sick and weak, moving to sit up, desperate to somehow save the deity from the conclusion he'd run across. But Yami did not look towards him, focusing on the carpet as if it somehow held answers that Yugi himself was blind to. His lips were moving again…

"Yami, no—that's not…oh gods…"

Yugi could not keep himself from flinching.

The truth of it was that Yami was right. He was not stronger than the average human anymore. He did not have that brute strength that he had possessed before. Though Yugi had to wonder how much of that had been his magic and how much of it had been him. Had Yami relied so much on magic to make himself stronger? Or was he naturally compact with strength as he had seemed before?

Yugi knew better than to lie to him, however. He trailed off, unsure of what more to say for a long moment. He knew it. And _Yami_ knew it. As long as _Yami_ was aware of it, there would be no comforting him.

The deity would become infuriated. He would simply turn on him in his anger. And the results could be deadly for them should he do that.

Yami was physically weak. Perhaps he was just as weak as Yugi himself was. The route of a pacifistic nature in life had not done well to provide him with physical strength in any sense. And his gentler temperament made it harder for him to get mad enough to even swing. Yugi had never truly had to fight physically before—or at least not more than ducking and running. He thought the most he'd ever done was possibly hit Joey in the shoulder when he was being a dick to him…

But even if Yami was as weak as him, he was mentally stronger. He was full of cunning that Yugi knew he could never hope to tap. And he was a lot smarter than most people Yugi even _knew of._ If the trials came to involve mental prowess, Yugi was sure that the hitchhiker would never make it to the next set.

And, as far as Yugi knew, he still had his speed. Yami was built on instinct. He was power and ferocity and intelligence. Just putting away one did not mean that it would truly impact the others. Yami was still vicious and cunning.

If that did not amount to anything for Yami then he had no idea what it was that he should say to him.

"That's only true physically."

The red-eyed teen glanced at him slowly from the corner of his eye. It was a brief flicker of dark red, his head turning only the smallest degree, and his lips curled back as he muttered, "And if he brings an attack to us, then we have no defense. I am too weak to deal with him. He will kill us."

Yugi stared at him, horrified by the absolution in his tone. His eyes had grown darker, bleak with the reality of the statement. He was under no illusion that he could beat the hitchhiker should they cross paths again. And Yugi wanted to vomit.

Yami believed this more than he had perhaps placed faith in anything else. He would argue with Yugi if the smaller teen tried to assure of him otherwise. He was absolutely certain that their next encounter would result in death.

He was certain of his inability to protect himself or Yugi.

"He…he can't kill us, remember, Yami? He'd lose the Game."

It was perhaps the only thing that Yugi could honestly offer him. He had nothing else that he could say that would not result in his further misery. He could not say much else to assure him in any manner. But if it was enough to put Yami's mind at ease, he would say it a million times more and never once tire of it.

But he knew it would be the least comforting thing he could have ever told him.

Yami would not listen to something as weak and mediocre as that. He needed assurance beyond that. He would want Yugi to tell him he could win, that he was physically able. He would desire more than ever that Yugi lie to him and say that he could defend them.

It was self-preservation.

And Yami was one who teetered between this and ferocity and pure hatred more often than Yugi could truly understand. To sweep the power out from beneath him was a truly terrifying experience for Yami. The balance being lost for him was something that Yugi could not _fix_ either, and that was terrifying for the small teen as well…

"Because that matters so much," Yami sneered. He peeled his lips back further, eyeing him, and then abruptly his temper seemed to sizzle out. He blinked again, focused briefly on the wall, and then slowly turned his head to face him. "Imagine. If he should win, he will even have my body to murder with."

Yugi could have sobbed with gratitude.

He thanked every god in existence silently for a moment.

Yami had not said " _when_ ". He had said " _if_ ".

That simple word changed everything at that moment.

It was a suckerpunch that made Yugi nearly sob and drop to his knees.

Yami might have been daunted. And he might have been tired. He might have been flustered.

But he had yet to give up.  
Yet, even this did not help them completely. Yugi felt cold as this new reality swept through him. The fact that Yami had even spoken this, broadcasting his weakness, was something that stunned him. It was too horrifying for this simple comfort to quell his swelling fears.

"He won't win, okay? He won't! I swear to you now that he _will not win_!"

Yami stared at him as if he were nothing more than a bug that he was meant to squash. The pure resentment in his eyes made Yugi nearly falter. Then he shook his head angrily, sighing in annoyance as he tried to think of something more to say. Yugi licked his lips, berating himself again for the fact that he had not thought through what he should have said to him.

He should have chosen something else to say. His promises to Yami meant nothing to the deity. A mortal swearing to a god hardly held any factor, he realized. If it had been the most influential person in the world, Yami would still scoff and sneer and smirk at them when he broke their pride and punished their arrogance. The fact that he was still silent at the moment was amazing to Yugi.

He was either no longer listening or he was waiting to see how much of a hole he would dig for himself.

"A physical fight is _not_ the only way to win," he murmured slowly, nervous with anticipation and feeling sick as Yami peered back at him. His ferocity was fading, but he looked skeptical more than anything. And Yugi felt himself waver between relief and despair. "You have the intelligence and speed, if you only try to apply it. And I know you don't really care for me, but I'm smarter than I look too. Between the two of us we can kick his ass and send him packing!"

Yami stared at him for a moment longer. Then he slowly moved to stand. He rolled his shoulders, peered at the window for a brief moment, and his eyes seemed to become glossed over with something almost ancient. "And where shall we send him packing, Yugi? Shall he return to Ryou should he not be a part of me?" he asked, voice low and calculating and so soft that it made Yugi bristle. A sense of innate fear crept through the blue-violet-eyed boy at the sound. There was something unnatural and ethereal in his tone, even if Yami himself was perhaps ignoring it. But then his head swung around and he knew Yami was focusing on the brown-eyed boy in the corner. Ryou was staring at them with huge, shocked eyes. He had clearly not been expecting them to have a verbal spat in front of them as they were. "That sounds like a grand plan, Yugi."

"It was your choice to make those the terms for the Shadow Game. And it was never a bad idea at the time," he tried, realizing that he sounded arrogant before he did reassuring. Yugi drew in a deep breath and shook his head. "It's…it's just a matter of how to control the entire situation until we can figure something else out. It's nothing too terrible to be dealt with, Yami."

"What do you mean, put him back in me?" Ryou cut in. His voice had grown somewhat high in pitch and his pupils were huge with horror, the brown of his irises nearly eaten away entirely. Yugi wanted to vomit, caught between the impulse to reassure him and to calm Yami who was rapidly growing irate with the interruption. "You can't be—"

" _Shut up_!" Yami barely had time to react to the words. Yugi was breathing raggedly, shaking finely, and his eyes were wild with anger. His voice had grown harsh, like blood dripping on tiles, and his expression was one of pure fury. He was shaking with the pressure of breathing and restraining himself. And Yami was abruptly struck with the thought that it was perhaps somewhat amusing to see him in this position. "You are the one who introduced him to us. And now we're stuck fixing _your_ fucking mess. This is _all your fucking fault, Ryou_."

Yami was floored by the statement, the outburst startling him enough to make his eyebrows rise. He watched him in silence, unsure of what more to say or do. But then he saw the way Yugi was staring at Ryou, his expression full of bloodlust that Yami had never quite seen before. It was beautiful in a disgusting way, though he would never have admitted it.

And then he felt the amusement begin to bubble up inside of him. He could barely keep his lips from stretching back into a smirk of pure laughter. How was it that Yugi was attacking Ryou so violently when he had hardly seemed to have done anything wrong? He would have assumed Yugi to be so harsh with him had Ryou been suggesting that they simply kill him and let the hitchhiker win.

It was not as if it were truly Ryou's fault that the Ring had been the pivotal piece to bring the hitchhiker into their lives. It was not as if it were his fault that the hitchhiker existed or had managed to leech energy from him and build this game.

Yami almost snickered at the concept. Yugi's anger was so hideously misdirected at the moment. How was it even possible that the small teen was taking it out on _Ryou_ of all people? Was this even the same boy who had begged him not to kill the brown-eyed teen that night? Hadn't he specifically pleaded with him not to harm him?

It was almost disappointing. He had expected that Yugi would turn on him instead.

It was inevitable, after all. The two of them fought more than they managed anything else. Yugi tried to be gentle, but even he was not perfect. And Yami was violence incarnated. He had never been one to show mercy and simply look at his query with puzzlement more than anything else as Yugi sometimes seemed to.

In the midst of their arguments, they would blame each other for anything and everything. Perhaps Yugi was not entirely wrong in doing so, however. Yami _was_ a god. It was damn well possible that much of the circumstances Yugi came to blame him for were truly his fault.

Now, however, Yugi seemed more absorbed in the thought of helping him rather than placing the blame on him.

And that was more disappointing to him than anything else.

Was it not Yugi's fault more than it was anyone else's, after all?

He had brought him there. He had been the one to solve the Puzzle. He was the one who had chained him to his side…

There was such irony in this that Yami found himself unable to stop himself. His lips curled backwards and drew away from his teeth. He recognized the shark-like smirk, his amusement making his skin warm for the first time in what felt like years. He tilted his head to the side curiously, eyeing Yugi for the briefest of seconds and then looking to Ryou as well.

Would they fight?

Yami would laugh if they truly did. He could not picture it. Yugi was too gentle and Ryou looked too fearful to be effective in a fight. The realization was enough to make him want to cackle with amusement.

But he supposed he understood as well.

It had to have been hard on Yugi to think of the faults that he was responsible for. It had to have been exhausting to carry the weight of them so constantly. And Yami had never been one to allow relief when he punished. So if Yugi had forgotten for even the slightest moment that he had done such a thing, Yami would remind him.

His mere _presence_ was reminder enough, however.

But Yugi was the only trying, as well. Yami knew this, and it was the only thing that kept him from pointing out the lack of logic that Yugi possessed at the moment. He was trying harder than any of them to fix the problem that threatened to swallow them now. He was attempting his best to win the Game.

And Yami knew that he himself was not helping.

The lack of agreement on his behalf, the lesser commitment, had to be daunting for Yugi.

And this alone was enough to make the smirk disappear from his face. It had not occurred to him before that perhaps his lack of motivation had done damage to Yugi's own as well. His strategic mind had faltered at the loss of his magic. And it was enough to make him uncertain. And uncertainty did nothing to help a deity.

His attempt to adapt and find his limitations once more had turned the uncertainty into nothing more than a well of self-pity. And the fact that Ryou now coexisted with them within this room like this did not help matters.

If anything, it made them all more tense than they would have been otherwise.

Yami felt sick for a moment. The constant need to be within proximity of Yugi and lack of true physical contact was wearing on him as well. It was coming back to him, the need to protect himself, but his body could no longer do so. And his lack of ability made him more likely to sneer at Yugi than he was to listen. And it made him choose the lesser of the two evils to hover between.

At least he knew Yugi.

Ryou was an unknown element.

He could not be within reach of it should something happen…

His self-preservation was a lost cause, however. He could snap and bristle and glare as much as he wanted. He could scare Ryou enough to piss himself. But he could do no more than this.

Ryou was the original host.

But Yami could not harm him.

And between the Game and his inabilities, Yami was unable to look at Ryou as more than a threat that he could not deal with. So he held himself as far from him as he could. And he reveled when Yugi and Ryou argued. And he kept his attention fixed mostly on Yugi for the sake of knowing one's enemy more than a perceived threat.

Yami looked between them for a moment, eyes flickering about. Ryou was the original host, but had it not been for Yugi putting the Puzzle together Yami was unsure that the hitchhiker ever would have found him. The Puzzle had drawn Yami forth, after all, and whatever it was that had possessed Ryou formerly had latched upon Yami in an effort to escape the darkness of the Shadow Realm.

Then, some way or another, it had found its way to the Ring. And the Ring had somehow chosen Ryou. He supposed the other being had to have rested inside of Ryou, living much like a parasite, and then slowly but surely begun to drain the energy from his host as well. But something had to have triggered the events leading to his attachment to Yami as well.

Something had to have allowed him the ability to become so powerful as to latch onto Yami as well. He was not entirely sure what it was that had allowed this creature to be able to draw power from multiple people, however. And he could not be sure that was truly what had happened. But he had to assume. He had to wonder and think and predict this to be what had been the cause…

And there was that little niggling piece of him that piped up constantly whenever he considered the hitchhiker. It reminded Yami constantly that he was tied to it. It was tied to him. He did not know which had come first. So he could say either and it be true. But the fact was that it had come to use him as its escape method. And so it was tied to him for no other reason than that.

In that way, there had to be some kind of link between them.

It was not as powerful as the one that he shared with Yugi by any stretch. He did not hear _its_ thoughts. He did not feel _its_ emotions. He felt and shared much of what Yugi thought and felt. But he did not encounter anything in these regards with the creature in question. But he knew it existed. But how had it come to latch onto him for escape but harness Ryou's body as its sole means of transportation?

Yami supposed it had to be the Ring that was capable of it. If the Puzzle could draw Yami from the depths of the Shadow Realm and force him into a human body, then surely the Ring could harbor a creature and give it the ability to drain from two at once. But then…

What was the Ring exactly?

Yami could not recall it in the slightest.

He did not know the smallest inkling of information regarding it.

"Sorry." The apology was muttered and quiet, enough to make Yami blink in bewilderment. He turned his head to find Yugi clearing his throat awkwardly as he looked at Ryou awkwardly. But the word had startled all three of them from wherever they had been in their own thoughts.

Yami blinked and furrowed his brows, facing Yugi for a brief moment. Ryou frowned at him, tilting his head slightly to the side with a somewhat flustered expression. And Yugi dug his nails into his thighs to keep from saying anything else.

The word had been dead in the air, though it did not quite lack sincerity. Yami considered this for a long moment as he looked between the two of them from his peripheral again. Yugi was frowning now, seemingly uncomfortable, and Ryou was simply scrutinizing him in turn. And then, abruptly, Yugi turned to face Yami entirely.

Whatever he saw in his eyes, however, seemed to scare the small teen. His blue-violet eyes stretched wide and his face grew somewhat pale. His brows seemed at first to rise and then to furrow and then he just seemed for a split second to curl in on himself.

Yami was staring through him again. He was seeing a million different things even as he stared at him, facing him completely and seemingly focused but peering past him and into something that Yugi himself was blind to. He had not seen that look since they had slept together after the one-sided game of Duel Monsters. He looked so far removed now that Yugi was scared to even truly lock eyes with him for a second longer than necessary. He was afraid of what lingered in his gaze, what those red eyes might somehow come to reveal to him…

"You're right though, you know." Yugi startled at the sound of Ryou's voice, eyes snapping away from the deity. He was both relieved and horrified. But Yami's eyes did not leave his face and he remained as he was, standing there with a darkened gaze boring into Yugi's skin.

When Ryou took a step forward, however, Yami's eyes abruptly sharpened and focused. His gaze focused more fully on Yugi first, as if he had been expecting him to have moved, and they lingered for what felt like a long minute. And then Yami slowly turned his head and faced Ryou as the white-haired boy approached.

"Physical strength is never the only thing that matters in a game or a fight. If you're fast enough or smart enough you can easily win."

Yugi saw the slight tilt of Yami's head and annoyed feeling of jealousy coaxed its way through him. Hatred made his blood warm as he shot Ryou an annoyed look. He could not tell if it was curiosity or predatory interest in Yami's eyes as he considered Ryou now. And if he listened to the other boy over him, he was going to lose it.

He would say fuck it to the Game entirely and just kill the red-eyed teen himself.

It was more frustrating than he could put into words, though he knew he should have been relieved for the support.

But then he looked over. And the emotion drained away from entirely.

Concern came over him, sweeping through him rapidly.

The red-eyed boy's gaze was fractured. He was not focused on them in any manner any longer. The light in his eyes had changed. And the darkness that had split his pupils seemed to be bleeding more furiously into his irises. Yugi could barely see the red amidst the darkness at this point and it horrified him more than he cared to try to explain.

Yami had…become estranged to the conversation.

At some point he had become so lost within his own thoughts that he had forgotten their existence entirely. Yugi could see it. He could sense it.

And the more he looked at him, the more he could see that there was something entirely wrong with his eyes. It was not only that the colors themselves were blending. There was something of a haze, almost white in color, that had crossed over his pupils. The smear of white did nothing to stop the black from bleeding into the ends of his irises. The streaks of dark color sparked and pulsated as if pushing outwards to claim every ounce of red he possessed any longer.

Yugi drew in a deep breath, nearly shaking.

"Y-Yami?"

At first his name did nothing. For a long minute Yami did nothing more than stare blankly forward at the space in front of him. And then, slowly, as if he realized only then, that he had heard his name, Yami blinked and looked towards him. The expression cleared in his eyes only minutely.

"Yes?"

"A-are you okay?"

"Perhaps I am simply tired."

"That's okay. Everyone gets tired."

Yugi had hoped it was something of a reassurance when he said it. But then he felt his insides growing cold as reality set in. He had sounded too shaky. And he had stuttered his name seconds before. Yami had most likely responded only because he had heard that stuttering more than anything.

It was stunning to him that he had even managed to speak in the first place.

But Yami hardly seemed to be paying attention any longer.

The deity blinked slowly, as if he were perhaps put off by the very concept that his feelings might be validated. He looked as if he might even open his mouth and sneer at him in response. Btu then he stopped short. His body tensed. His eyes stretched wide for a brief second, then narrowed.

Abruptly he jerked sideways.

And his fingers, curled inward, lashed out.

A cry left him. Dismay slammed through him. He watched Ryou jerk back. But the action came too late. The metallic stench of blood was harsh. The color was bright and hideous. The spray was miniscule. But it was a harsh splash of color.

And it hit Yami's cheek in a low arch.

The color was brilliant and horrifying against his skin. Yugi was rendered motionless. He could not think straight. His eyes were wide, stunned, frozen. The splatters were much like paint flung through the air. And they outlined just beneath his right eye. The way the heavier droplets began to trail downwards was horrifying to see.

For a moment Yugi thought of Ares, the god of war. And he wondered just for a second who it was that Yami truly was. But then, even more, he thought of Zeus. He thought of the lightning he ruled over, his anger and furious temper. He thought of the way he forced others to his will.

And it scared him even further.

For the first time since the night the Game had been issued, Yami looked once more the deity he claimed so adamantly to be. The blood against his face made him appear ancient. It made him seem primeval. It made him look all powerful.

Yami looked the embodiment of passion and energy. He looked raw and fierce.

And somehow it made him seem timeless, immortal and violent.

It made Yugi think of him on the floor in the moonlight. He thought of him beneath the silver light, skin pale and gorgeous like marble, like the statues carved to the form of gods from mythology. He thought of stories of war and violence and blessings and sacrifices meant to buy their favor.

He blinked slowly several times, watching him.

A small burst of elation crept through him.

Did Yami feel any stronger at the moment? Yugi doubted it, but he looked so much better that he could not help but tremble and feel hope sweep through him. He bit his lip, heart nearly bursting within his chest with excitement.

He could not help it.

Yami was beautiful, unnaturally so. And he looked all the predator that he had been the first time they'd crossed paths. The delight that coursed through Yugi was something that he could not stop.

For a split second Yugi wanted almost to grab him. He wanted to press their lips together. He wanted to see what it would feel like to have him at a moment such as this. Would he taste the power? Would he taste the strength? Would he taste the eternalness that Yami possessed?

If they fucked, would it be tenfold?

Yugi licked his lips, unable to suppress the thought. He wanted nothing more than to test this theory.

But then Ryou snapped, "What the _fuck_?" and all of the elation in his body seemed to fade. Yugi flinched slightly, startled away from his desires, and turned to Ryou again. The white-haired boy was covering his wound. And it was amazing how red the side of his neck was…

"You tried to touch me," Yami said simply. He did not so much as blink, staring at Ryou in pure disdain. "No one is allowed to touch me."

Yugi blinked at him. Then he shook his head slowly. For a moment his thoughts were still caught upon the desire of fucking the god, or perhaps of allowing Yami to fuck him. But then he stopped short. Yami's words finally connected in his head. And his brows furrowed as he looked at him.

"What?" he asked after a moment. The phrasing had been strange, and Yugi knew Yami had not meant it the way that it had come out, but it still startled him. "What are you talking about?"

"He reached for me. I do not want anyone to touch me."

Yugi shook his head slowly, studying him. Yami was still staring at Ryou, a clear warning in his eyes. And, from this alone, Yugi could tell that Yami truly believed this to be right. He truly believed that Ryou had reached for him.

But…

"Yami, he never reached for you."

"The fuck he didn't!"

"No one was reaching for you!" Ryou cried out angrily, spitting at him, and the deity snarled when he backed up a step. His white teeth were sharp and glossed over with his own saliva, glinting in the sunlight. Yami trembled slightly, shoulders raised to shield his throat, and snarled louder. The fleck of blood on his cheek made Ryou flinch away from him again.

"Then why are you so damn _close_ to me?"

Yugi nearly flinched at the sheer incredulousness and the slight tinge of fear which he swore he heard within Yami's voice.

"I was just moving around!"

Yami hesitated. And then he turned to Yugi with a confused look, bewildered and asking for clarification. Yugi felt sick, heart in his throat, and then reached up to grab at his shirt for a moment, twisting the fabric lightly in his hand. "He wasn't going to touch you," he muttered softly, though the words seemed only to make Yami's eyes stretch wide and then narrow fiercely. "I…I think the Shadow Game's first round just got lost."

"No, he said three rounds. That fact that Ryou was brought here so easily means that this must be the second round. He is using my magic to make us see and think things that we normally would not." Yami snorted and moved to take a seat at the desk chair. He raised his hand and folded his fingers, looking at the nails lazily. "The point of the Game is to have the teams captured. No harm is meant to come to either. But if he is making harder on us then he must be risking the same done to himself. Shadow Games do not give uneven opportunity and evens the playing field for any participating. If he is making it harder for us, then it will do the same to him. He will slip up and then this Game will end."

"Is it really the point to capture them, Yami? Or is it to push until someone attacks them?" Yugi asked, searching his face. The words were enough to make his eyes flicker over and lock on his. "You have to remember that he didn't say anything about hurting each other until the last second. So maybe he means for the Game to keep going until someone is harmed three times so that the Game is finished?"

"I do not see the point behind that. Should he manage to catch one of us, if he harms us, then he will lose as well." Yami looked back to his nails now. Yugi could see Ryou shifting his weight and looking at his fingers as well now. "And he said that the terms were that we had to capture the other team."

"I don't know but I can't see how it would work like this if he was planning something else."

"He might have something planned, but whether or not it will work is another question altogether, Yugi."

* * *

"Okay, so…"

The small teen glanced between the two of them nervously. Ryou was watching him with apt attention. He was so scared of Yami that he was willing to act as Yugi shit rainbows at this point, the blue-violet-eyed teen realized. And Yami was enjoying the fear that he bestowed him because his red eyes were brighter than they had been before. And he was picking at his nails with his teeth.

But there was also something cold and angry in his expression as well. Yugi could see it, like ice coating his gaze. It was glacial and indifferent and harsher than ever. Yugi had the feeling that Yami wanted nothing more than to sink his teeth through Ryou's throat and tear through his flesh.

Something about the incident the morning before had left him further irritable. Since lashing out at him, he had been watching him with something of a furious expression around his laughter. And, every now and then, when Yugi saw Yami turn his head or Ryou glance towards the deity, the red-eyed teen would stiffen. And his body would nearly shake with tension. And his eyes would become hideously dark.

Yugi had considered several times that he would have to jump between them should Yami lunge. But the boy had held himself there each time. He had somehow contented himself enough to simply stare. But, sometimes, when Yugi was not paying full attention, he would startle.

There was a harsh snarling in the air those few times. It was low and terrible, and Yugi would realize it was only when Ryou got up. If the white-haired boy remained on the ground, Yami simply stared. But if he got to his feet, Yami snarled and looked ready to nearly bite him.

Since then Ryou had mainly remained in his corner by the door. He had ignored them altogether for the most part, attempting to keep the peace this way. But he was not sure if _this_ was what infuriated Yami so much or if it was just him who was somewhat upset with it. Yugi himself found it hard to stop scowling when he would look over and realize that Ryou was ignoring them like that.

Ryou was doing something entirely different from him.

He was not worrying about winning.

He was worrying about surviving.

And Yugi knew without a shadow of doubt that he himself, despite everything, was actually incredibly jealous of it all.

The white-haired teen got to pretend that nothing was happening.

His whole life and Yami's depended on a Game.

Yugi wanted to punch him for his ability to ignore everything going on around him.

He turned his eyes onto Yami now, blinking and wondering as he pressed his tongue into the roof of his mouth. "I'm going to go to school. Ryou is going to stay here for the day, okay? I'll spread it around that he's sick with a cold or something—a stomach flu," he announced dismissively when Ryou looked up as if he might object. "You and he are going to stay here for the day, okay?"

Yami tilted his head slowly, clearly only giving him enough attention to catch onto the tail end of the words. Then he blinked, eyes growing wide, and snarled as he spun on him with a glare.

"What?" he spat. "You want him to remain here? With _me_? I do not recall ever agreeing to such unnecessary entertainment services."

Yugi frowned at him, sighing softly and studying him. "Yami, I don't expect you to entertain him," he said in a quiet voice, shaking his head slowly. He hoped his voice was somewhat assuring but he could see by the way his red eyes grew more furious that Yami was hardly happy with him. "I just need him to stay here. And I don't want you to wander off either. The only way I can make sure you both stay in one place is if the two of you are together, okay? Besides, Yami, he's stuck here with us. And he's… I'm going to guess that he has something of a connection with the thing like we do, and that he can sense him. If that's true, then he's going to be our little warning system until I can figure something else out."

The red-eyed teen opened and closed his mouth. Then he bore his teeth in obvious frustration. "You mean to leave us together for eight hours? You do not truly believe that to be a wise decision?" he hissed slowly, searching his face. "Do you mean to make us all _lose_? You brought him here to make me more volatile than ever, didn't you? So that, when I kill him, we end up losing!"

Yugi blinked, stunned by the declaration, and then flinched as the accusation fully settled in his mind. "You have got to be kidding me," he groaned, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. He shot Yami an incredulous look, scowling. "No, Yami, I don't want us to lose."

"Then why the _fuck_ is he in such close quarters with us? He lives, and breathes the same air as us! You sneak him food from the kitchen because your mom and grandpa are home! He uses the same shower as you!" Yami spat, glaring at him and shaking with his rage. "He does not need to be here! It is _unnecessary_ that he be here!"

Yugi blinked, frowning at him, and then he furrowed his brows in shock. Yami's breathing was coming out ragged, as if he were hyperventilating. He could not fathom the god doing such a thing, however. But the evidence was staring him in the face as Yami glared at him so furiously.

"Yami…we're trying to win."

"We are going to _lose_."

"Why are you always so cynical _all of the time_?"

"Is it really cynicism if I know you to be incredibly wrong, Yugi?" he snapped. "The fact that we have someone who _hosted the fucking thing_ in your home, existing so close to us is foolish!"

Yugi blinked. Then he furrowed his brows. His eyes searched Yami's. And then he froze in place. Realization was a cold bucket of ice water dumped through him. He felt sick.

Yami thought that Ryou could somehow lead the hitchhiker to them.

He was scared of that.

Yugi wished he could have told him that no such thing would ever happen. But he could not force the words out. And he knew just as well as Yami that it was very clearly a possibility. He was watching Ryou in the corner of his eye now, unnerved and unsure of himself now.

"Yami, please… I don't plan for this to go on for very long. It's going to be for today, okay? I _promise you_ it won't go on for much longer. We just need to make sure that he stays here today. We just have to make sure that this goes on like this for the day. And then we can figure out the rest, okay?"

He was pleading quietly, his voice all but a whisper. Yugi swallowed hard, searching his face unhappily for a moment. But he felt as if perhaps his fears were as warranted as he thought them to be.

It was terrifying to consider it.

His red eyes shot to Ryou, narrowing, and then he focused on Yugi a heartbeat or so later. And Yugi could not help but feel sick to his stomach. Yami was clearly not okay with these arrangements. He could see the spark in his eyes. It was crystalline in his gaze now. Yami was scared. He was fearful that he might lash out and further destroy what little chances they had of survival. He was too terrified that he could not stop himself, Yugi realized.

And it all made sense to him now.

Yugi felt his heart squeeze in his chest, clenching hideously and making his lungs ache and constrict.

"It will be okay," he said again, in a lower tone. He forced his words to be more soothing, but they both heard the vulnerability in it. Yami bristled in response, turning to him with sharp red eyes. Yugi shook his head, biting his lip hard enough to draw blood, and grabbed roughly at the strap that hung over his right shoulder. "It's going to be fine, Yami. Just…give me a chance to fix this, okay?"

Yami peered at him with sharp and dilated red eyes, his irises almost swamped black entirely. Then he glanced towards Ryou sideways after a moment. The white-haired boy had thankfully chosen to wisely keep his mouth shut, but his expression too had grown fearful. Yugi realized immediately that Ryou recognized what he himself had always known—he had realized that if he so much as spoke or moved a certain way, he would perhaps lash out. And if he did such a thing, he was not sure what would happen.

Yami turned back to Yugi, huffing a breath. "I have no choice, do I?"

Yugi wished with everything in him that he could have said he did, but he was not willing to lie to him. "No," he admitted unhappily, feeling sick. "You really don't."

Yami nodded slightly after a moment, scornful and clearly unhappy. He scowled and turned away from him entirely, snarling low in his throat as Yugi approached him. But it did not make the smaller teen pause and Yugi leaned against the bed, moving forward to whisper into his ear.

"Just put a little faith in me, okay?"

The deity stared at the wall as if it were more interesting than Yugi could ever be. The smaller boy sighed softly, a disgruntled noise, and then pressed a kiss to his cheek. Yami bore his teeth but the snarl had grown silent. Yugi hesitantly ran his fingers over his jaw as if it were something of a loving caress. It felt a mockery of anything he'd seen his parents share, but he supposed it would also lack any true emotion.

They were not in love, though Yugi cared immensely and wished to help Yami in any way he could. But he was not in love with him in any way. And, oftentimes, Yugi wondered if he hated him in all reality. It was not hard to imagine. His sudden appearance had turned things upside down for him.

He had even had the rug taken out from under him upon thinking that he was in love with his childhood friend Tea. And now he was unable to do anything with her, as the deity in front of him would surely kill her for the transgressions.

Yugi sighed and turned to make his way out the door, fingers hovering on the knob. He paused, then glanced back. Yami was staring at him now, curious and frustrated, but he did not speak. And so Yugi opened the door and headed down the stairs.

Yami listened to the sound of his footsteps until the door opened and he could see him walking away through the window. Yugi did not turn around again, though he seemed somewhat knowledgeable of his stare, as he would occasionally slow down as if he might look back and then hurried again.

The silence was long and harsh for a moment as Yami took a seat at the desk once more. He moved his fingers to his mouth again, teeth tearing at his nails. If he chewed them away, perhaps he was less likely to lash out. It would be one less weapon in his arsenal. Yet Yami doubted it altogether. He did not think at all that he would be slowed in the aspect of violence just by pretending he had lost a weapon of some kind.

He could always pretend, he knew. It was an easy thing to do.

Yami bit hard enough to draw blood, his canine cutting lightly at his finger.

And then he glanced sideways.

Ryou was still in the corner. He was seated on his air mattress. He had a set of homework in his lap, with a notebook and textbook there on his thighs. Apparently, for whatever reason, he found homework calming and soothing. Yami found this ironic as he remembered homework stressed Yugi more than anything else.

He was writing an answer in his notebook and Yami was—as he had oftentimes with Yugi—losing himself in watching Ryou print words on the paper. It was a comforting action, one of which with the sound that made his heart feel easier.

"So…do you honestly think you can actually win?"

The notebook was pushed away. And the words were purely curious. But his growing anxiety had also made them twist into something of a condescending tone. Yami blinked, raising his eyes first, looking from where he'd gone back to staring at the yellow comforter. Then he dragged his eyes to the dark indigo cabinet system that stocked Yugi's clothes, and then slowly turned his head entirely. He blinked, tilted his head, and his expression was a frozen mixture of malice and disgust that made the other boy flinch.

"You seem rather cowardly." Yami sniffed disdainfully, watching him. "Is that why you chose to follow him here? Did he offer you something? Maybe he offered to fuck you, hmm? Or were you truly just so foolish as to simply think that following him here was the right thing to do?"

"I don't really like confrontation, no. But I can always hold my own if I need to," the other boy said in an annoyed tone. His face had become slightly red and Yami wondered if it was because of the fact that he had suggest he had come with Yugi for the sake of fucking him. Most humans got that kind of expression when they were abashed by a topic of conversation or secret which they did not want another to know.

But Ryou looked incredibly unnerved, more so than Yugi ever had upon Yami bringing up his more explicit sets of videos. He seemed more to be upset with the way Yami was staring at him, in truth. And it made him curious before he realized what it was that he was seeing.

Yugi had mentioned it several times. He had told him recently that his eyes seemed to stare through and at someone all at once. And he had said it seemed more as if Yami were peering into the very pit of his soul and was judging him accordingly whenever his temper arose.

"I followed him here because I needed answers. And it seemed good enough to get them like this," Ryou continued, though he clearly looked upset regardless. "Besides, you guys are…pretty much the good ones in this Game so why not side with the better people?"

Yami had been focused on the idea of the fact that he might seek answers. He had expected further explanation. And he had been ready to leap at him and sink his teeth into his throat should he make any demands of any kind. But then his question caught up to him and his mouth split into a wide smirk as he looked at him.

He drew in a deep breath, rumbling with deep laughter. "Good ones? _Better people_? You fool! There is no one good in this damn Game! Perhaps the better choice is to assist the two you have better options with. But to call either of us _good_?" he sneered, laughing louder. "Do you have any idea the misery his choices have and _will_ cause? Do you have any stretch of the imagination to see the blood that I have spilled? If it were not for this Game and his… _fickle_ mercy, I would not give a damn but to snap your neck!"

Yami reveled in the way that Ryou flinched so violently.

It was liberating to see that he could still strike such fear into a mortal. Ryou might have been weaker than Yugi, but it invigorated him all the same. The thought was also exhausting, however.

He knew that this power was nothing compared to what it should have been.

"But the Game dictates I cannot. And Yugi has told me that he does not want to see anyone else harmed. I suppose that is to further expose me to mercy. But I see only misery and suffering where this is concerned. The fact that you even sit there, gazing upon me now, infuriates me. I wish to eradicate you from the face of the earth. But I am unable to," he said scornfully. He paused for a brief moment, narrowing his eyes faintly and lowering his voice into something of a self-mocking whisper as his gaze flickered away to the wall. "And so I shall remain silent towards my desires and wit until the day they may truly come to pass."

"You're a fucking martyr, aren't you?" Ryou spat in frustration. He shook his head in anger. Yugi had said he was a god before. But there was no way that he could have been one. He had never known of a god that sat around and pitied themselves as this creature in front of him was doing now.

Yami looked weak and small because that was how he desired to. If he had _wanted_ to, Ryou was sure he could have kept that hideous, bloodied powerful expression he had shown him upon lashing out that day. But no, instead he sat on the bed. He watched him with hose calculating, annoyed eyes, with an expression that spoke of nothing but confusion and self-pity.

"A martyr?"

"You just love nothing more than to make everyone think that you are the victim, don't you?"

Yami turned to him now, blinking at him. He seemed puzzled, but then he roared with laughter seconds later. He barked a noise, something between a chuckle and a full guffaw. His eyes danced with savage amusement as he face him.

"Victim? No! Oh, fuck no!"

Yami paused, then narrowed his eyes and tilted his head further. There was something that flashed in his features, harsh and cold. His laughter vanished entirely from his features. There was a deadly and precise calm, dangerous to behold, with an undertone of malice that made You feel sick to his stomach upon looking at him.

"I am no victim, boy. I am the law. I am the power. Being stripped though I am, I may still destroy as I so see fit. But you see only half of this picture. See for yourself through Yugi's words one day. And then you behold an entirely new dynamic. Any situation is one-sided until you are able to hear from two parties."

Ryou blinked at him, shaken by the predatory gaze peering back at him so harshly. He startled, feeling sick to his stomach, and the words and ferocity underlining them made him almost dizzy.

"The very concept of being a victim"—he smirked widely in amusement, a beautiful twist of his lips that made his eyes mockingly warm and full of excitement; Ryou almost thought it made him look ethereal—"is something I have never been considered before. It tickles my senses that one fails to see the victor as what they truly are."

"The…victor?"

"I win."

"Win w…?" Ryou trailed off, realizing striking at his insides. He was too surprised to deal with it all. He blinked at him, startled as he stared at the other boy in consideration. He did not mean the Game they were playing now. He meant that he _won_. He meant that he _never lost_. Yami was telling him that he was the victor because he had always won… He blinked and shook his head slowly. "You can win even if you consider it losing, you know…"

Yami scoffed loudly, a barking sneer of a noise. "Winning by way of a loss?"

Ryou stared at him, blinking and then tilting his head to the side in wonder. "You know, letting someone else win just for the sake of their own achievements? Or losing in order to gain new knowledge? Or sometimes, learning from what you perceive to be a loss when truly it's the only thing to save you in the first place?" He frowned visibly when the other boy blinked at him in a slow movement, clearly dismissing his words. "You don't understand, do you?"

Yami curled his lips back to show each of his teeth in a clear threat. Ryou wondered how it was that Yugi even dealt with the red-eyed deity on a daily basis. It was frustrating to deal with him, to see that hideous sneer and snarl which marred his face so often as it did. But his eyes were full of disdain now as well.

"Knowledge is not gained from loss. It is gained through adaptation and the will to survive whatever circumstances are thrust upon you," he sneered, shaking his head and glaring at him sharply now. "Whether you agree or not does nothing to change my mind in the slightest. I am a being that exceeds your limited knowledge, boy. And I will tell you now that not once has loss won me power."

"But you've never lost, _have_ you?" the other teen questioned, frowning at him and shaking his head at his angered expression. "Isn't that what you just said?"

The deity fell silent for a long moment, regarding him, and then turned back to his nails. "You are utterly irritating," he announced dismissively, clearly pushing away the subject with such authority that Ryou could not even slightly fathom continuing the conversation. "What is it with you humans?"

* * *

"I know how to save him."

Yugi paused mid-step. He blinked stupidly at the statement, then turned his head to look over his shoulder. He gripped his backpack a little tighter. The strap burned into his palm as he dug his nails into the fabric and shifted his fingers.

"Oh yeah? You know how to save Ryou?"

"Who said anything about the pest?" the voice purred. "I meant your little red-eyed pet."

Now he halted completely, biting his tongue hard enough to draw blood. His heart was in his throat for a moment, anxiety making his hands almost shake. And then he slowly turned around to face him more fully.

The Puzzle flared violently against his skin through the material of his shirt. It was clear the Item was reacting to the other boy. And, to his horror, a queasy feeling sweeping through him, the Ring had appeared from around his neck.

He hissed quietly as the burn began to drift from his abdomen, the Puzzle growing cold again. He remembered similar reactions to Yami, but never quite so abrupt and violent. Normally it took a more aggressive stance from Yami to make the Puzzle react.

And, standing a few feet away the other male was watching him with bright, glittering purple eyes. He did not seem aggressive at the moment, though his expression was enough to make Yugi want to vomit.

"Yeah? You think you know how to save Yami?"

His words came out in a drawl, a quiet statement that he thought sounded almost slurred. It was shameful how desperate he felt at the moment. He would have dropped to his knees had he suspected the purple-eyed creature in front of him to be knowledgeable. Had he had the right string of words and simply spoke them, Yugi might have begged him as pathetically as a dog did a scornful master.

But he knew well enough that it was not right to do this.

And he was well aware even more than that that the creature had no idea what he was doing or saying.

He had no intentions to tell Yugi how to save Yami.

There was absolutely no reason for him to propose aid for him as it was.

"It's really quite simple."

"Does it involve killing you?"

"Only if you might wish to lose this Game."

Yugi snorted loudly. He tugged on the strap of his backpack as he shook his head slightly and smirked in amusement. No, he refused to lose this stupid Game. And he would not allow Yami to think anything less. If Yami were to think that he had given up, he was not sure how the god would react. He could see a violent demise at the end of it or he could imagine Yami simply smirking and telling him that he knew he was never worth anything.

And, as easy as it might have been to just throw in the towel and admit defeat so prematurely, he could not help but think of the stakes they had both declared.

Yami had agreed to let this… _thing_ take him over completely. He had agreed to let him own his body. And to use his magic for whatever destruction it wished. Yugi could not let that happen. If for only for the fact that Yami's magic was an unstable mess and their challenger clearly cared about nothing else but destruction. He had to stop it for that alone, if it came down to it.

He was desperate to save Yami in the meantime as well, but the truth of it was that Yugi had a choice to make if it came down to it. If Yami were to somehow lose whatever little drive he possessed, he would have to pick up the slack. And, to do that, he would have potentially leave Yami to rot in himself in order to fix what had happened…

And he knew for a fact that Yami would not expect him to truly fight for him.

In a matter of survival, as Yugi had once told him, he expected him to save himself before he ever even thought to do the same for Yugi.

It was the same in reverse. Yugi would do everything to save himself and little to save Yami if it had to come to that.

By the gods, Yugi hoped that never came to happen.

"So what's _your_ idea then?"

"Do you really think I will offer you knowledge without a proper payment?"

"I don't plan on giving you _anything_. So maybe it's best if you just shut up."

"You do not wish to free him?" the other said slowly, voice amused and cautious all at once. His lips twitched and it irritated Yugi more than he cared to admit, frustration making his insides burn as his stomach clenched. Of course he wanted to free Yami. He honestly supposed he wanted that more than anything when it came down to it. "I thought for sure _you_ would be one to feel guilty enough to assume the role of attempting to set free the prisoner he's so unwittingly captured."

Yugi bristled, hesitating. "There isn't a way to release him."

"You have no idea. Is that not what he has told you repeatedly? That you have no idea the powers you've invoked in bringing him here? What about the forces that keep him at your side? You have no idea what it is that can and can not be done with him or the Puzzle. You are a blind little boy struggling to find his way through the dark. Have you no remorse for your actions?"

Yugi found himself rattled by the words, eyes wide and stomach churning. He blinked and his heart seemed to lurch into his throat. Yami had often said that. He often spat it at him, no matter what they were doing or when. He would sneer it when Yugi was talking at times. He would hiss it at him when he got too close to him when he was feeling ill. He sometimes waited until Yugi was half-asleep to grumble it before he'd get up and wander off on his own…

But how the spirit in front of him—

Yugi bristled now, eyes narrowing as he ground his teeth together. In truth this should not have been a surprise to him in any manner. The truth of it was that this _thing_ knew what it was that Yami had said because despite never quite _asking_ Yami, Yugi was relatively sure that much of his magic held his memories. As it was, Yami seemed hardly to remember things about himself and Yugi was painfully aware of just how weak his magic was at the moment. Yami had not been shy in telling him such a thing as it was. He had often blamed him for whatever inadequacies he possessed…

But this creature in front of him was speaking of conversations that had taken place long before now. And none of those the creature could have been present for, which seemed more than ever to prove this theory correct for Yugi.

But still, it occurred to Yugi, regardless, that this creature was right.

It and Yami were _both_ right.

He did not have the smallest inkling of an idea what it was that he had done. He did not even know what he _could_ potentially do. Even the conversation with his grandfather had done nothing for him. It had not given him any true guidance. And Yugi did not know what it was that he could possibly expect from any of it.

There was no knowledge of the full extent of the Puzzle's power. He did not know if it only corresponded to Yami or how it was that it worked. He did not know what such a weapon was used for, or how it was possible that the magic had the power to judge and punish and execute as they saw fit.

And, in truth, how many mistakes could he make? How many was he meant to before he could stumble upon some sort of truth? But Yugi was breathless for a moment with the idea. Yami was so often put into terrible positions for the sake of his inexperience and utter lack of control.

How many mistakes was he _willing_ to make?

Yugi bit his lip hesitantly.

He was not sure what more there was he could possibly do.

The words were true and he would be an idiot not to acknowledge such a thing.

Yugi was very much lost in the dark. He was left fumbling on his own more often than not. And there was no one with the power to provide him the most intricate of answers to his most terrible of questions.

Yami refused to share what little he knew. And his grandpa had proven himself a dead end, as Yugi had rightfully expected.

No one truly knew anything about any of it…

The creature's eyes sparkled as if the sunlight had just graced them.

"If you are so terrible interested in telling me, then why _don't_ you?" Yugi bit out in a furious voice, his tone so rough that it made him almost flinch in surprise. But the words came out so firmly that Yugi was almost amazed that he had even managed such a feat to begin with.

What if something he said or did or mere _exposure_ to this creature—what it truly was—harmed Yami somehow further? He could not risk remaining there for much longer. He was not sure that his cornering him there at that moment counted towards a victory in this Game, but he did have to wonder.

After all, the guidelines were solid but the rules themselves were rather ambiguous…

"Start talking or I am going to just assume that you don't actually know anything."

"You forget that you must agree to my own terms, boy."

"So start talking or I'm going to keep walking."

"Impatient little brat," the boy wearing Ryou's face spat furiously. After a moment he drew in a deep breath, then exhaled harshly. His expression morphed so quickly that Yugi almost thought he'd merely imagined the hatred that had been displayed there mere moments before.

But Yugi had forced himself to study. He had forced himself to learn. Because it was the only thing that stood between himself and Yami when it came to the deity's swift reflexes. It helped to know body language enough to understand when the red-eyed god might turn on him. He could tell ahead of time when he was stepping too far on thin ice simply by the way the god would display a simplistic defensive twitch or study him from beneath his lashes.

The other boy's lips pulled into something of a gentle smile. But his eyes were wrong, sparkling with malice and mockery that Yugi knew entirely too well from Ushio and Yami. He had known those expressions far too well to be fooled now. And so he arched a brow lazily as the creature began to speak again.

The white-haired figure's voice was low and soothing, overly pleasant.

"All you must do is hand me the Puzzle and I will tell you _exactly_ how to send him back."

Yugi froze in place, eyes widening. Had he truly just said…? He blinked, a long and slow movement. And his mind backtracked rapidly to catch up with what he had said. Yugi felt as if his head were spinning.

Hand him the Puzzle?

He truly thought he was just going to _hand him the Puzzle_?

He narrowed his eyes, mind racing. Yami had only had a handful of interactions with the damned artifact. He had tried to touch it when Yugi was not in the room the few times that they'd interacted before having sex. And Yugi had always returned to find him hissing and the room smelling of charred flesh.

Yugi had only ever convinced him to touch it in front of him one time. And, in doing so, he had perhaps punished Yami more than he had ever thought possible. The backlash of magical energy had been so immense as to send them both retreating, senses reeling and minds spinning. He'd dropped the Puzzle and the bottom piece had come off from the impact.

Yami had been rendered almost to his knees from this. He had begun snarling, hands over his ears. He'd started tugging at his hair as if he'd wanted nothing more than to scalp himself. He had struggled endlessly, wave after wave of pain crashing through him. And, had he not been of such sheer will, Yami would have collapsed and screamed, writhing on the floor.

And, when Yugi had managed to put the Puzzle pieces back after watching Yami struggle so relentlessly, the deity had turned on him. He had snarled at him for wanting to send him back. He had been all but hysterical in his furious condition, accusing him endlessly of trying to banish him back when he was not allowed. And then he had been so infuriated with his presence that he had fled in order to keep from lashing out to end him entirely.

For hours Yami had remained gone, showing up only much later. And even then there had been various signs of physical exhaustion. He'd looked visibly strained. He'd looked cautious and angry. But he'd come back only to keep a stupid deal that they'd made. And he'd never been so adamant about his putting the Puzzle away until that moment.

Even now Yami shot it wary looks and sometimes glanced at Yugi with a sharp, dirty expression to his face. Whenever he got home from school and wore it there in hopes that it might somehow help heal the deity, if he entered the room and approached him, Yami would snarl. And then he would jump from the desk seat or the bed and snap his teeth like a rabid animal. Yugi usually remembered himself the moment he heard the snarling. And only once had Yami truly had to snap at him to take it off before he got any closer.

"You plan to dismember it," Yugi snorted, slowly reaching up to touch the heavy chunk of metal where it hung around his neck. The other boy's eye twitched, so rapid a movement that Yugi did not think that he had truly seen it at first. But those purple eyes were locked on the artifact. And he looked much like Yami did whenever he entered the room wearing it.

He was afraid of it.

He was _just_ as afraid of it as Yami himself was.

But the creature tried to save face, though Yugi was already struggling not to smother laughter. He had cupped the bottom of the Puzzle with his hands. And the creature had nearly flinched.

Now, however, he smiled boldly in a way that made his expression colder. His eyes flickered about the Puzzle for a moment, dancing a brief heartbeat, and the mocking edge grew as they darted to Yugi's face.

"I must admit, I am rather surprised that he managed to stop you if you should have tried."

Yugi failed to respond for a long moment. He had never tried to purposefully dismantle the Puzzle. He had considered it only once when Yami had frightened him to the point of retaliation. But to see him in pain as he had been that day, or to permanently harm him in any manner, had been enough a thought to stop him altogether. He had never once attempted it.

But, if this creature didn't know that, then perhaps there were holes in the memories and magic he had access to. Perhaps there was something that blocked him from _all_ of Yami. If that were the truth of it, that meant there was some kind of weakness in the creature…

"He's a lot stronger than you would think," Yugi answered after a moment. He was almost dazed when the words hit his ears. They were heavy and laden with pain. His stomach clenched so forcefully that it almost made his knees weak.

Yami was not as powerful as he should have been. The Shadow Game they were playing, his inabilities, and his growing insecurities; all of them were burdens that he was not handling well in the slightest. And why should he have? He was a god, not a human. Yami should never have had to _experience_ these things. His magic should never have left him so vulnerable. And there should never have been a leech to attempt to drain him of it…

But if there was nothing else that Yugi knew about him, it was that while Yami might hate the predicament, he was stronger than he himself or this _hitchhiker_ thought.

Yami was someone that proved lethal when underestimated.

And, no matter the circumstances, Yugi was sure that he would pull through if only for himself.

"And he _will_ win this Game. Because you're too weak and foolish to realize that you're messing with the _wrong_ god."

The other creature blinked, clearly startled. Then his lips drew back. A sparkling white canine was branded at him as if in retaliation. "You are but a stupid child," he growled. When he stalked forward, he seemed almost to tower over Yugi. His eyes flashed like gemstones, but the color was haunting rather than beautiful, and Yugi felt himself growing furious by their mere existence. "You have no idea the power I possess."

"I do." Yugi tipped his head up, snarling at him. His voice was dripping with enough hatred that it startled him. But he did not stop from squaring his shoulders and glaring at him. "Because it is borrowed and _Yami_ is its rightful owner. And I know it from _him_."

"Your little pet knows _nothing_ of his own magic, _boy_. He does not even know what place in the hierarchy of gods he resides," the hitchhiker barked. He was sneering when he leaned forward. And Yugi steeled himself, refusing to back away. A small sliver of fear wound its way through his frozen marrow. But he kept his spine straight, his shoulders squared, and continued to look back as if he were not intimidated in the slightest.

If the hitchhiker attacked, he would lose this round. And if he lost this round, then surely it put them just far enough ahead to make a difference…

Right?

"I, on the other hand, know exactly where it is that I rest."

"On the very bottom. Because you're in a borrowed body, form by _borrowed_ magic, because you _hitched a ride_ with a creature _stronger_ than you who was drawn into this world by an artifact _so powerful_ that you are _very obviously afraid of it_."

The statement made the other blink before baring his teeth. "I fear nothing."

"Brave words. But you look like you're going to start trembling at any second."

"You have a large mouth, you little brat."

"I also know what it looks like when someone gets that scared."

"I despise your arrogance." The hitchhiker was breathing harder, Yugi noticed, and his entire frame was shaking with the effort. He was _panting_ , much like Yami did when he was too infuriated to keep from lashing out. The red-eyed teen would steady himself, entire body rigid, body shaking with each breath he took, and his gaze would be like fire when Yugi would meet it.

And then, abruptly, it would stop.

Yami would blink, turn away with a huff, and move to the other side of the room. Or, other times, he would blink and come closer, hesitating but eventually doing as Yugi had asked of him in sitting next to him or sleeping beside him. Yami knew his limitations. He knew where he could push and where he couldn't. He even knew what arguments to fight, even if sometimes he chose the dumber ones in order to rile Yugi up for the hell of it.

But he never displayed his anger for long. And most often, it was a split second thing. Yugi would only ever notice it because of his stiffness. He would only ever see it due to his slight tremors. And it was only most apparent in his eyes.

This hitchhiker had none of the control that Yami possessed. He was still shaking, spitting at him in his annoyance.

"Who are you, little human, that you think you might be able to defeat me?"

"I don't think that I'm going to be the one to do it." Yugi paused, shaking his head, and then smirked slowly. When he leaned forward, it was with a sneer. But the thought occurred to him how close he was to this creature. And it made his skin crawl to realize.

If he simply tipped his head upwards, they would have brushed lips. And that thought was both hilarious and utterly horrifying to Yugi. Not only had he put himself in the position of showing weakness, but he'd also drifted close enough for Yugi to try to steal energy back from him. But Yugi did not know if he could do so with a kiss. And he did not want to risk Yami's ire should that be a mistaken assumption. "But Yami will."

Yugi barely had the chance to register that the hitchhiker had moved. His eyes grew wide when the hand came for his face. And the backhand sent him sideways. Yugi released only a yelp. And his entire body tumbled, rolling.

His head seemed to burst with pain. Lights formed behind his eyes. Darting pain lanced through him. His skin was growing sticky along his cheek. His palms itched and ached. Still he tumbled another few inches.

He groaned. His body was throbbing. His limbs were tucked together like a rag doll. He ached. And his limbs seemed splayed around his torso in nearly unnatural angles.

He could not figure out his own position.

He just knew he needed to get out of it.

He needed to _get up_.

"You speak to me of that insolent _bastard_?" the other boy roared. His voice sounded unnatural, gravelly, and as if there were a million blended within it. Yugi wondered at this for a split second. And then he heard the steps. The creature was coming towards him. And his footsteps were loud and thunderous, as if the earth were quaking with his approach. His breath came out in a weak gasp. "I will squash you and him like the little pests you _truly are_."

Yugi tilted his shoulders, then shifted his body. The movement made him roll over onto his back. His legs ached and burned. He blinked his eyes open. His body hissed with pain. His chest clenched with distress. But his head was pounding. There was energy flooding his veins. Wave after wave of adrenaline was crashing through him. He wanted to laugh. But his tongue felt swollen. There was blood in his mouth. He must have bitten it. He scrambled to throw himself to his knees. Then he staggered to his feet.

"You think you can speak to a _god_ with such insolence and refuse punishment? I will skin you."

Yugi blinked again. His head was spinning. His balance was lopsided. The suddenness of getting up as he had did nothing good for his clenched stomach. He nearly groaned. Bile threatened to race up and he forced it back. His eyes were burning. And his vision was dotted with red for a split second.

He squinted at the hitchhiker, unsure. His belly ached and his torso felt concaved. The Puzzle had done a number there. Yugi nearly groaned again. The dull throbbing in his temples grew vibrant. He pressed his teeth into his tongue to hold it captive. His lungs constricted painfully.  
He scrambled to move away.

But his body was too winded.

The creature did not stop its slow predatory pace towards him. And, before Yugi could think straight, it was in front of him again. The small teen braced himself. The next attack would be worse than the first. He was sure of it. Yami had taught him that. If he could manage to stun with the first hit, the second was the one that would be painful. And then the rest would be more for fun. They were not the ones to truly inflict hurt because gods liked to inflict torture, long and slow. Sudden death was boring to them…

Yugi was trembling when hands reached for his throat. The pain in his spin grew into a deadly pulse. His limbs locked in place. His heart raced rapidly. His body was slammed with adrenaline.

He could not move.

Long pale fingers were within millimeters of the smooth skin of his neck.

A pain flared across his torso.

Yugi fell backwards, thrown forcefully.

The hitchhiker screamed.

Yugi regained enough sense to touch the pulsing pain in his temple. Then he reached down to his chest. His fingers brushed the cold chain there. And his heart skipped a beat. Realization raced through him.

The hitchhiker was still screaming, louder than ever. And Yugi blinked in horror. His eyes flickered upwards beneath his lashes.

The creature was doubled over. His knees were shaking, almost giving out. He seemed ready to collapse at any moment. Yugi watched his shoulders rise and fall in a quiver. He watched his spine arch and twist beneath his clothing.

And for a moment Yugi was frozen.

He was stuck, watching and staring.

He was unable to do more than blink stupidly.

"You're a fool to think that I would ever give you the Puzzle." He paused, heart racing as it jumped into his throat. "And you're _fucked_ if you _ever_ think I'll let you hurt Yami."

 _That's my job_ …

He shook the thought off with a violent shudder.

And then, unable to watch any longer, Yugi forced himself to flee back to the house.


	10. Chapter X

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Yu-Gi-Oh!**

 **Warning: So, the same as last time. The cursing should be relatively mild but grows a little more at times, Season 0 Yami whose a bit more unhinged in this story than he was in _Behind You_ , so keep that in mind.**

 **Note: There are various/copious mentions of blood, some graphic images of death, sensual moments and feelings, touches of violence/abuse, slight OOCness but it's due to stress (and it's mostly going to be from Yugi whose going to suffer pretty badly where Yami is involved and choices he makes in order to help Yami), slight touches of depression, possible triggers**

 **Update Schedule: I'm going to try (again) for bi-weekly updates**

 **Also, it just occurred to me to make a note of this. I adore Ryou. But for right now he's going to stay meek and cowardly for a little while. He'll grow past it but for now, after all of the trauma that has come around with Bakura's appearance, he's going to have a lot of growth to go through. He'll eventually become a lot more independent later.**

Chapter X

When Yugi returned, the first thing he came to notice was that Yami was seated on the very edge of his bed. He was pressed against the headboard. His eyes were closed tightly and his face was pinched. He almost looked as if he were concentrating on something he could not focus on any other way. His brows were furrowed. His jaw was clenched. His breathing was harsh and erratic. His fingernails were buried into his kneecaps where he'd drawn his legs up. His thin frame was so folded inwards that he almost seemed not to take up any space.

The sky blue walls around them seemed to completely dwarf him. The yellow of the comforter seemed to swallow him whole.

"How long has he been like that?" Yugi muttered. It was just loud enough for Ryou to hear him. And he waited for a few moments, expecting the answer to come at some point. But the seconds passed. And his heart was hammering in his chest with rising anxiety. Yugi spun on him, snarling with growing despair. How could he have seen Yami like this and not thought to—?

But Ryou was not there.

He blinked. The air mattress was empty. The walls surrounding it were bright blue, mocking him. Nothing barred his sight of them. He blinked stupidly. And then his heart raced so hard that he swore it was lodged in his throat.

He turned back to the red-eyed teen.

"W-where _is_ he?"

The taller boy was frozen and silent for what felt like hours. Yugi's skin had begun to slowly but surely bunch and twist. Goosebumps rose across the pale pallor of his flesh. He was about to open his mouth and repeat himself. And his mouth tasted dry and his tongue felt swollen. He felt dizzy and sick.

Faith left him.

Yami couldn't answer him, could he?

He was trembling now that he considered this train of thought. Yami was immobilized. And he looked as if he were struggling to simply _exist_ in front of him. He looked as if he had been unable to move for hours now.

"He was in the corner the last I saw him."

The answer startled Yugi so much that he jumped visibly. He drew in a sharp, heavy breath. And then he blinked, startled as he drew in a deep breath and faced him more completely. "The last time you saw him?" he asked in a demanding tone. He repeated the words to himself once mentally, then furrowed his brows. His voice was too loud, he realized. It was high in pitch and he sounded almost hysterical.

Yami did not answer in the slightest for a moment. Instead he shifted his face and Yugi could see his cheek press into his knee. He looked as if he were struggling to comprehend the task of speaking to begin with.

Yugi bit his lip until he was bleeding. Then he drew his hands up and tugged at his hair, threading his fingers through his bangs immediately after. "When…um, when was that, Yami?" he requested in a softer tone, trying his hardest not to lose his patience. It was clear that Yami was wounded, that he was sick and exhausted. If that were the truth of it, asking for an answer from him was almost counterproductive, was it not?

"Hmm?"

A long second of silence passed between them. Yugi shivered and tugged harder at his hair. And then he noticed Yami lift and turn his head the smallest degree. His red eyes opened into narrow slits of glittering pools of blood. His lashes were long enough that they looked unnatural, as if etched into his golden-bronze skin. When he tipped his head up, it was only a fraction, and his expression appeared disinterested all the same. His shoulders relaxed of its tension. And he slowly moved to sit up in a languid manner.

"I believe it was about an hour ago."

"An _hour_? He's been gone for an hour and you didn't even _notice_?" Yugi spat out. His voice was an octave louder and he felt as if he might vomit at any moment. He was stunned. Yami had let someone escape his notice like that? He had truly _allowed_ Ryou to up and leave him in that state without a care in the world?

Was that what Yami was insinuating? He hardly seemed to care now. And Yugi felt as if the world were spinning around him, his gut churning.

It made no sense.

Yami was so keen, even in his weakened state. He had lashed out so easily when Ryou had gotten too close to him. It might have been an accident, but he had still attempted to do so.

So how was it that he had failed to notice that their _key to victory_ had slipped through the door?

How could he have failed to think to open his mouth and say something to stop him?

Why had Yami _not gotten up_ and stopped him himself?

"Perhaps?" the deity drawled. His voice was calm and lazy, but it was still effective enough to stop Yugi's frantic train of thoughts altogether. His mind was racing faster than he could hope to comprehend.

Yami's voice was so quiet, so painfully slow, and it was almost as if he were pushing the words through a vacuum of some kind rather than dead air. Yugi stared at him, horrified and bewildered by the thought. And, when the red eyes blinked open more fully, Yugi could not resist a flinch.

The deity's gaze was far away. His pupils were mere pinpricks, with rives of black which coursed outwards, and the very edges of his irises were visibly distorted. The veins that decorated them looked far too bright, reddened hideously to the point that they made his eyes appear to bleed forcefully into the whites.

"I do not know."

Yugi shook his head, confused and stunned. He felt as if he might collapse. His knees were all but shaking. His heart was still lodged in his throat.

"H-how could you not notice him leaving? Yami…t-that doesn't…"

"Make sense? It makes an abundance of it, actually." Yami's lips curled back to show off his right canine. His voice dropped several octaves and his tone was harsh and vicious. "Did I fail to make my words clear to you? Do you not understand what words I have spoken to you? Need I explain myself more fully?"

Yugi opened and closed his mouth once, then twice. But he could not force the words from his throat in any manner. At the sight of him, his lungs had grown weak and his ribs ached with each breath.

He frowned and his lips twisted immediately. A grimace crossed his face. He reached up, running his hands through his hair again. But somehow his fingers wound up at his mouth instead. His teeth dug into the soft flesh of his wrist. Words failed him and he stared at the other boy.

Yami seemed so frail, so incredibly tiny. He looked as if he weighed no more than the shadow that he cast on the ground. His hair was drooping, showing with grease. His shoulders were lowered, sagging and thin beneath his clothes. His collarbones were sharp, prominent, and they made his shirt look a size or two too large. His wrists, where they rest in his lap in plain sight, were thin enough that Yugi almost thought them nonexistent. His hips, even beneath his uniform pants, seemed like sharp v-shapes that barely rested in the folds of his dark clothes. His long slender legs were folded beneath him but the knees were apparent to him. They were sharp and knobbing, like someone had thrown a sheet over a pair of knotted tree roots.

Yugi closed his eyes tightly, breathing in deeply. He shook his head and dug his teeth further into his wrist. The pain made his head swim. And hoped somehow, against everything, he might split the skin. His stomach twisted in protest. But there was no relief to the ache that burned beneath in his nerves.

There was a low, almost inaudible whistle which met his ears. Yugi froze, focusing on it now. His eyes opened into narrow slits as Yami's once had before. He stared blankly at the comforter those few inches from where Yami rested. He could not focus on the other boy for a long moment. And then the noise came again.

Yugi blinked, tilting his head in bewilderment. He thought he recognized it. But he had never made the noise himself. And he struggled to think it through. Where had he known the noise from? Where could he have possibly recognized it from?

He blinked, then raised his head to look up.

When it came a second time, so did a small shift of Yami's weight. His ribs were expanding. A small, stiff pain bloomed in his chest. And then he heard it again. His frame grew smaller, then still. It sounded painfully, terribly familiar. It made his skin crawl and his fingers itch. It came a third time. Then a fourth.

Yugi was frozen.

Realization made his knees tremble.

Yami was _wheezing_.

Yami was _breathless_.

His lungs were beginning to fail him.

Because his lungs were not even complete yet.

Yami was _suffering_.

Because he could not come up with a solution fast enough…

Yugi bit so hard into his wrist that he thought he might end up swallowing his own flesh. His eyes clenched tightly shut again. And a sob tore through him before he could stop himself. His teeth dug harder than ever into his wrist. And he trembled pathetically as his thoughts raced again.

"Oh _gods_ …"

Yami did not respond. When Yugi looked at him again, the deity was no longer paying him attention in the slightest. He was picking at his blood red nails instead. He was picking at them as if he did not care in the slightest for his discovery. But he noticed that Yami was staring at him in his peripheral. He was cataloging every movement Yugi made. He was studying him as if he were a creature that he did not know how to coexist with.

Yugi knew this technique. Yami often pretended to be caught up in other things when he was watching him. When Yugi had done homework and played on his phone days prior, Yami had been staring at him. He'd only known from the intense feeling of being watched. But the taller teen had simply chosen to put his chin in his hand then, fingers folded over his mouth. But he'd pretended to gaze out the window.

But now the position of raising his hands and picking at his nails put intense strain on him. He could hear his wheezing now more than ever. He could hear them much more noticeably. His heart was in his throat again, threatening to leap atop his tongue. The small boy swallowed away a wail of distress.

He shook his head frantically, his voice cracking. " _Yami_ …"

"I did not see him leave." The deity shrugged listlessly, as if there were nothing more to say. But all Yugi could do was stare at him, feeling sick to his stomach. His shoulders looked unnaturally sharp, almost like the tips of his canines. "I do not know when he bothered to."

Yugi shook his head sharply, though more slowly than he could remember ever doing before. His heart was in his throat again.

Did Yami truly think he cared about that anymore?

Had his state of being completely escaped him?

He was _half-dead_! Why would Yugi care about _Ryou_ when he was _half fucking dead_?!

"I was unaware that it was my turn to watch him."

Yugi let out a sharp, miserable groan. How in the world could Yami even consider for the briefest of seconds that he cared about _that_ any longer? Who cared? Who the fuck _cared_ where Ryou had gone? He wanted to know why Yami was even _wasting his time_ saying such a thing to begin with! How could he so stupid as to do that? He was wasting energy and…

 _Because he's_ scared, Yugi realized abruptly. Yami was _scared_.

Because Yugi was stronger than him. And he knew that Yugi could hear him wheezing. Yami knew that. And he was willing to fight him tooth and nail if only to hide that. He was willing to speak for such a stupid reason as that.

He'd _gladly_ waste his breath before he would _ever_ admit that it was taxing to do so. He wouldn't admit to having such weaknesses. He was too afraid. He was too proud. He would prove him wrong in any way he could.

Because Yami thought that if he saw weakness in him, Yugi would kill him.

The thought made him tremble and bile burned a path up the back of his throat. His heart felt heavy in his chest and his hands were shaking for a moment. It was disgusting, but it was also the truth. Yami would _always_ be afraid. He would _always_ feel that way in the back of his mind.

Should Yugi find out he was weaker than him, he would kill him. That was a constant instinct somewhere in the deity's mind. It had always been there. It would always remain there. Yugi could tell him a million times that he would not hurt him, but Yami would never trust it. Yami was, and would always _remain_ , scared in some way or form.

That would not die just because Yugi was kind to him or told him otherwise to contradict his fear.

Yugi was not sure he would have been any differed had their situations been reversed.

"Who _gives a fuck that he left_?" Yugi blurted out, nearly spitting the words. He shook his head furiously and scowled as he tugged at his hair again. The words seemed to startle Yami enough to raise his head. But his eyes remained on his fingers for a moment longer. And then, as if he were stricken with the idea that Yugi might lash out, he tipped is head up and stared at him. Yugi shook his head again, breathing out roughly. "I don't give a _fuck_! Damn it, Yami, do you even see yourself right now?"

Yami blinked at him, then tilted his head the smallest degree. Yugi thought he was looking at him as a raptor might before swooping down on a mouse.

"Do you forget yourself?" the deity hissed in a low voice. He leaned forward and bore his teeth, pressing his weight into his palms where his fingers gripped angrily at the comforter before him. "Have you truly forgotten that my reflection is but a mere _shadow_?"

Yugi flinched, startled by the reminder, and then scowled at him furiously. He shook his head, voice low and cold as he snapped, "That's your excuse, Yami? Is that _really_ your fucking excuse right now? Why don't you just tell me that you don't care anymore?"

 _Tell me otherwise_ , his mind begged desperately, _tell me you care and you plan to recover and this won't keep you down_! Please!

"I know as well as you that if you had wanted you could have always used _my thoughts_ to see yourself there!"

"Your thoughts?" the other echoed him in a quiet tone. He looked dazed, red eyes burning into Yugi's for a brief moment. And then he slowly shook his head, looking away again. "Right, your thoughts."

"Why not?"

Yami's response was inaudible. But the twist of his lips was one of pure self-mockery. He did not seem upset but for whatever it was that he had said. And now he seemed almost to snicker for a brief moment.

"What?"

"Nothing, Yugi, it is nothing of importance," he answered. He shrugged with such force that his entire frame jerked with the action. His lips were bright where he had run his tongue over them. His teeth glittered like water beneath sunlight when he smirked at him. "Nothing of importance at all."

" _Nothing_?" Yugi exploded furiously. He stalked forward a step, nearly trembling with his growing rage. He ground his teeth together for a moment, his stomach harsh as it heaved with burning hatred. He shook his head sharply, his nearly aching with the effort. He swallowed hard, glaring at him furiously. "You call that _nothing_? You look like a _pile of bones covered in flesh_ , Yami! And you have the audacity to say that it's _nothing_?!"

Yami did not blink at him, instead studying him with a dispassionate expression. "I see no reason for you to grow so angered," he answered after a moment. "You seem to be overreacting, as per usual for you."

"No reason for me to…?" Yugi was shaking. He was so infuriated that he swore he saw nothing but red for a moment. He nearly lashed out, raising his hand as if he might land a blow across the side of his head. Instead he found himself digging his teeth into his skin, flinching at the sharp pain, and stared at him blankly for a long moment.

The pain was so acute he was sure that he had broken skin. The pain was too much to bear for a split second. The air made his flesh burn and he almost cried out for a brief moment before swallowing it away. He closed his eyes shut but fear made him open them again just as quickly.

Yami was still there, though his mind almost refused to believe this. He glanced at the window for a moment, hoping for a brief second to find some kind of peace and patience to help him. But it did not quite happen. And instead he grew more frantic. Each second his eyes were away from Yami he feared more than ever that the red-eyed teen might cease to exist before him.

"Are you stupid? Did all of your intelligence get sucked out with your magic? For fuck's sake, Yami, you look _terrible_! You look as if you might pass out at any given second! I don't understand how you could possibly—"

Yugi bit along the side of his thumb to stop himself from yelling any louder. He closed his eyes tightly, snarling under his breath. His free hand sought his bangs, tugging on them harshly. His scalp burned and he almost yelped, furious with himself.

But when he opened his eyes again, Yami was simply peering back at him. His eyelids were hooded and he was staring at him with keen, lazy disinterest. The expression infuriated Yugi. He wanted nothing more than to lunge at him. He wanted to scream. He wanted to snarl in distress.

But all he could do was pull his hand away. He was shaking again as his voice grew an octave higher with anger.

"You fucking _bastard_! You're _wheezing_! You shake the moment you breathe! You know as well as I that if you have the _audacity_ to say you didn't notice that you are _lying_! You can't tell me that you don't _care enough_ to at least _wonder_ about what you look like, Yami!"

"I have wondered." Yami remained still for a few moments. His voice was incredibly thoughtful, nearly wistful now. His lazy expression did not change in the slightest. He was dismissive and did not care in the slightest, Yugi realized. There was not a single thing that Yugi said that made him so much as blink. The deity seemed not to bother to so much as do more than keep his eyes open. And Yugi thought that was more out of necessity to watch him than anything else. "But not enough to truly attempt to look at myself."

" _Why not_?" Yugi screeched. He advanced on him again, no longer able to keep still as he glared at him furiously. The ferocity in his tone, the way he held himself made the other bristle. Yami's red eyes flashed like bulbs beneath his long lashes, his lips curling back to show his sharp teeth. He was clearly rattled by his aggression. And Yugi recognized this but he could not stop himself. He was no more than a foot away from him now, glaring. "You didn't think to use my eyes to see yourself? You've done that kind of thing before! Why the fuck wouldn't you do it now?"

Yami snarled low in his throat but did not verbalize a rebuttal.

Yugi refused to be unnerved by the noise, so angry that he did not heed the caution that touched at his insides. "You didn't even consider doing it, did you?" he spat. "Why not? Why didn't you?"

His snarl dipped lower, a hideous purring that made the air icy with tension.

"You imbecile! You fucking ignorant, arrogant bastard! You never even _considered_ it!"

He was shaking, the noise growing softer still.

"You start deteriorating right in front of me and then you get angry because I call you out on your _shit_? You can _not_ be serious right now! Yami, you are _not an idiot_! Why would you not try to take care of yourself?"

Yami trembled harder. The noise became nothing more than a drifting whisper of sound. Yugi blinked. The red eyes were sharper than ever. Hate made them darker. And arrogance made them burn like fire. They bore into him almost like an ocean of blood. The dead air mad his snarl echo. The room was too still. The room was too quiet now. The snarl continued…

Yugi was trembling harder than ever.

He struggled to regain control. His instinct was still to lash out in a fury. He was frustrated, more annoyed than he could afford to say. His mouth opened, then closed again. His eyes widened drastically. He blinked stupidly.

Yami was tense. He was leaning forward.

And he was waiting.

He was _daring_ him to lash out.

His teeth were bared. His eyes were bright with threat. His shoulders had risen. His body was vibrating with anger. That low, haunting snarl continued to filter from his mouth.

Yugi stayed quiet for what felt like hours. The anger in his system began to abate only slightly. He could not find the words at first. And a despaired sensation crawled through him. His blood felt cold and his fingers itched. He swallowed hard. Then he forced the words from his throat slowly.

"Why didn't you just try to use my thoughts, Yami? You know you could do it if you had only wanted to…" He was whispering now. The fight he had been preparing to start died in him. He could not think to draw enough strength into him to develop the words. His voice was pitiful as he faced him. He begged him for an answer of some kind. And the other could do nothing more than stare at him in dismissal. "It would have been so _easy_ …"

The small twist of his mouth, forming the words with his lips instead of his voice, was visible not inaudible again. Yugi frowned and leaned forward. He narrowed his eyes, confused, and shook his head slowly.

"Yami…?"

The mystified expression that crossed Yami's face was only visibly for a split second. Yet it was still heartbreaking for Yugi to see. His heart was in his throat as the deity struggled to speak.

"I…"

He opened, then closed his mouth again. His red eyes bore into his for a moment. Then his shoulders rose and fell away again. He was not comfortable, Yugi realized. But he was also unable to help him with that. So he pushed away his sympathy and studied him again.

For a split second Yami seemed to continue to try. His eyes were on his, sorting rapidly through his mind for words of some kind. He struggled to articulate. And then he stopped abruptly. Yami grimaced, lips between a sneer and frustration. He looked away, shoulders rising into another jerky and uneven shrug

The minutes ticked by. Yugi frowned and narrowed his eyes. The air was cold and harsh. Yugi felt sick to his stomach for a moment. But he could not bare to remove his eyes from his shaky, emaciated form.

"Yami, _please_ —"

"I have no answer for you."

"You don't have one or you don't want to _give me_ one?"

"Whichever way you prefer to see it is your own choice."

"Just answer me, okay? It's not a hard question!"

"Your human mind oversimplifies too many things." The red-eyed boy looked annoyed and oddly young at the moment. Yugi was abruptly reminded of a petulant child pointing out that "Because I said so" was only a valid excuse for so long. His eyes were sharp with anger. But there was also a small, almost unnoticeable glint of anxiety which shone near his pupils.

His mature features had not changed in the slightest. But somehow he looked softer, almost warmer. Somehow he seemed almost _approachable_. It seemed, for the smallest of moments, as if his body somehow projected the need to be comforted. But he looked infuriated as well, his stance and tone hateful. There was no sense of need or desperation in the way he held himself.

Yugi wondered if this was some kind of trick. Was it his own desperation? Was it that he _wanted_ to see Yami in such a light as to feel safer in his bid to help him? Or was it that perhaps some part of Yami reflected it? Was it possible that somehow the deity projected himself in that way in order to provoke pity and mercy from a potential threat? If that were the truth of it, Yugi was sure that no _human_ would have been able to lash out against him if he was looking at them as he was him now.

Yugi drew in a deep breath. He went to speak, but the deity beat him to it.

"You have no idea the complications that exist and surround this Game, Yugi. And I have neither the patience nor the willpower to explain them to you."

Yugi hesitated, then moved forward again. The tension was incredibly noticeable in Yami's body for a split second. But a second or two seemed to pass. And his taut form seemed to lose its stance. Yugi watched him relax after a moment, as if perhaps he was too tired to remain angry and afraid.

They studied each other for a moment. And then Yugi hesitantly lowered himself onto the bed, taking a spot beside him and studying him. He kept a few inches between them so as to avoid startling him. But the inches felt like miles. And his stomach churned as he looked him over.

The thought scared him. The thought that they were so far apart mentally was more horrifying to him than he cared to admit. He drew his legs up from the floor, wrapping his arms around them. He couldn't take his eyes off Yami, however, staring even as he pressed his cheek into his knees. His skin burned and his stomach knotted painfully for a moment.

His eyes were burning as if he might cry but he couldn't find the strength to do so. And his stomach was coiled with pain, knotting terribly. The fight he'd been willing to have with Yami was gone in an instant. He swallowed hard as he looked him over.

"Yami, I…I just… Maybe you're right, and I don't understand…but there's no reason why you shouldn't have done that for yourself."

"You are still thinking far too simplistically. I am not human, Yugi. You need remember yourself and that our species are not one in the same. Humans are mere puppets to the gods. You are all our playthings. One is not meant to dwell amongst the other."

"That doesn't explain anything…"

"Maybe it doesn't explain enough to you but it does for me."

"Yami…" He shook his head after a moment and then closed his eyes. "Damn it…"

Yami shrugged after a long moment. He remained still and silent after that, the time stretching for what felt like an eternity. Yugi felt as his heart might shatter in his chest and his lungs felt tight and his windpipe too small. But then he heard the softest rustling of clothing.

The mattress dipped at his side, near his hip but not quite touching him. Yugi turned his head, startled as he blinked wide eyes and peered at him in alarm. Yami was staring at him intently. His red eyes were wide. He had moved forward, leaning on his hands, and he watched him much like a wary animal.

He looked innocent with such wide eyes, adorable in a sense. But the expression that colored his eyes was one of barely restrained anger. "Why are your cheeks covered in blood?" he asked in a low, drawling tone.

Yugi flinched and resisted the urge to cringe away. "It doesn't matter."

"I have waited patiently for your tongue to still so that I might be able to ask," Yami said in a low, cold tone. He leaned further forward and his breath ghosted over Yugi's cheek. The skin itched there for a moment and he shivered. The small teen barely resisted the urge to flinch in shock. When he spoke again, Yugi almost forgot how to even breathe. "Now, you will answer me, _understand_?"

"I promise it wasn't a big deal," Yugi grumbled, shaking his head after a moment. He opened and closed his mouth twice. Yami was still glaring at him. He was not placated in the least and, in fact, Yugi's words seemed to anger him more than ever. But Yugi could hardly bring himself to tell him about his run-in with the other being. "I swear to you it wasn't, Yami."

"This Game is spiraling further and further out of control," the deity hissed in annoyance. He pulled away to settle back on his haunches once more. His eyes narrowed and he stared at the comforter, tracing a fingernail lazily over its surface. He shook his head after a long moment. "The objective is to capture and contain. But for how long are we required to do so? And how is one meant to truly _win_?"

Yugi lifted his head and turned to him more pointedly now. He blinked wide eyes but the god hardly seemed to care that he'd gathered his attention as he had. Instead his lips pulled further down and he closed his eyes.

"Does it require that both halves of one team are brought to the same spot? Does it require that we go to a certain area and dwell there? I have no understanding of this Game and I grow so weary of it." Yami was quiet for a moment. Then his eyes flickered from beneath his lashes, raising to look into his. His lips drew into a dark, wry smile. "I want nothing more than to rip your throat out and simply end it. But my life is at stake, though I may not desire it so much the way it is now. And my magic is too terrible to be contained by one vessel so weak and new to such a pathetic world as this."

Yugi blinked at him, eyes stretching wider than even before. His stomach began to somersault and he felt sicker than he had in a long time.

What if the hitchhiker couldn't _control_ the magic he'd borrowed from Yami? What if he allowed it to spill out and destroy everything? What if it released something like an immense plague to kill them all from sheer negligence?

He opened and closed his mouth, feeling much like a fish out of water. He tried to find the words to put his fear in the air between them, but it seemed impossible. He was dizzy for a moment.

Yami stared back at him blankly. His red eyes had lost their ferocity now. Instead an image of despair and discomfort had come to cross them. Yugi felt his heart pounding in his chest as Yami watched him. He looked weary of the world, exhausted, as if he might drop from the weight of his own conflicting thoughts.

"And…what is more…" Yami was watching him again, locking eyes and considering him. "Do you know of that point…in which one's mind…simply cannot bother to absorb anymore?"

"Absorb? You mean as in thoughts or memories or emotions? Something like that?"

"All of them."

Yugi blinked, startled by the deadened tone that had come across his voice now. Yami looked as if he were physically ill. Yugi nodded after a moment, feeling sickened. The red eyes were glazed over, far from their usual beautiful glow.

"I believe I must have come upon such a point."

Yugi felt as if he might vomit. "Um…you…you're not…like…t-talking about jumping…in—in front of a speeding truck—o-or—or something…r-right?"

The deity remained silent for several long minutes. His eyes were harsh, flickering with exhaustion and a cruel sense of amusement. Yugi nearly flinched away from him once more.

"It is truly a sad realization to know that you are not even joking."

Yugi truly wished he could have been. He wished with everything in him that somehow he could have turned that fear into a joke for them both to laugh at. Instead he felt cold as he considered him more pointedly.

"I know…that it doesn't count for much," he whispered, "but I'm here with you every step of the way, Yami."

* * *

"What do we do now?"

Yami blinked at him in a lazy fashion. His red eyes were glazed over and Yugi could not quite name the emotion that colored them. It was not defeat. Nor was it the crippling despair that he himself felt. But it was something similar, pushing at the border of these things, and to behold it in Yami's gaze was something terrifying to him.

The deity shook his head slowly, as if the question were one of the most foolish he had ever been asked before. He blinked once more, then looked away. "I do not know." He shrugged when Yugi frowned deeply once more. And he felt the hope he'd had become swallowed away by the clear dismissal and his inability to care. "The Game is far beyond me."

"This Game is _not_ beyond you, damn it. You just don't want to have to try!" he snapped bitterly. He shook his head sharply and glared. But his expression did nothing to make the other respond. And Yami did not grace him with even the smallest of blinks in response to his effort. "You know damn well that we could win. But you don't want to put in the time or effort to think about it. Because you're _scared_. And I understand that. I _do_! But you don't get that if _you_ give up, then why should I not do the same?"

Yami tilted his head to the side. He studied him closely, his expression nearly mocking with his laughter. His face remained blank even as he searched Yugi's face for a moment. His voice was soft, his tone quiet and all but devoid of any remaining emotion. "Do you expect me to allow myself to fall into line with your efforts to make me care more? Let me explain something to you, Yugi. My sense of self-preservation has long since abandoned me. And I care nothing for my own fate," he stated. The calm in his voice was enough to make Yugi's marrow freeze in his bones. "Surely you are not so foolish as to misunderstand what I mean to tell you. But I will explain it to you regardless, so that there is no confusion on this matter."

Yugi shook his head, opening his mouth, but the red-eyed teen snarled to silence him. His mouth snapped shut before he could stop himself, eyes wide as he blinked at him and tilted his head slightly.

"It very clearly gives the indication of which I promise failure. I do not care any longer. He can have his victory. I will cease existence _gladly_. There is nothing within this world that I care for."

Yugi shook his head again. "You could say that again. But I still won't believe you any more then than I do now. You are _full of shit_ , Yami. You're just too afraid to put in effort because failure and your nonexistence are thoughts that you do not want to consider. If it was a _true_ _forfeit_ , I think the Game would have ended the moment you said those words."

The deity narrowed his eyes. He raised his chin subtly, then smirked faintly. It was indirect challenge of kinds. And he studied him with an irritable expression for the moment. Then his lips curled into a wider smirk and his features become playful and coy. "You are right. If I were truthful about such a statement, I would no longer exist." He paused and for a moment he studied Yugi. Then his expression slowly fell and his brows furrowed as he considered him. "But it does not change my opinion. I see no reason to play or to win. I am tired. No, I am _exhausted_. I do not care for anymore attempts to strategize in some manner. I do not care to try to win any longer. I do not wish to continue. I want to lie down and sleep. And that is something I am not privileged enough to do."

Yugi searched his face for a moment, studying before shaking his head slowly. "And what would you do if you could sleep?"

"I would never wake up again."

"You're so full of shit, Yami. You're not broken. You're tired but you're not bowed."

Yami snorted in amusement. Then he shook his head, sighing and rolling his eyes. "You are right. I am not done. I have not given up. I am tired—exhausted, even—but I do not care for rest. I want merely to lie down. And then I want to win." He fell silent for a moment, then locked eyes with him. His voice was no longer soft, but rather cold and determined. "I _need_ to exist."

Yugi smiled, smug as his satisfaction grew to immense heights. "You're not weak, Yami," he answered with a smirk. "You and I are _both_ aware of that."

"You believe such a thing as much as you may like, but I have little faith in such a statement," he replied softly, shaking his head. "But do you truly know me so well, Yugi?"

"It's a hunch," he said with a smile, tilting his head to the side and raising a brow. "But I think it's a correct one."

Yami shook his head, then crossed his arms. He lowered them to the surface of the desk and pressed his chin into the crook of his elbow. His eyes became hooded, lazy, and his mouth twisted at the corner of his lips. For a moment he simply watched him, and then, slowly, his lips tugged down on the right side until it grew disdainful.

"You always seem to have such a strong intuition."

The praise made Yugi sit up slightly, smiling.

" _Until_ you attempt to apply it to others," Yami snarled in disdain, wrinkling his nose. Yugi had cringed, brows furrowed and eyes widening in shock. He had the harsh impulse to simply snicker and smirk at his startled expression. "You cannot tell yourself when someone is a threat to you. You are unable to tell friend from foe. You cannot even think to save yourself from potential disasters. Yet, somehow, you think yourself to be smart enough to speak to me as if you have knowledge of _me_?"

Yugi blinked, frowning at him now. He no longer seemed offended by the words. He appeared now to be more annoyed than anything else. Although there was still genuine shock which crossed his features, blue-violet eyes narrowing only slightly.

"If you have any knowledge whatsoever of my personality and nature it is because you are so inevitably tied to me. Remember that for you seem so carelessly to forget. You have given me form through _half of your own damn soul_. What that means for your emotional states and reading each other is still to be determined." Yami narrowed his eyes and smirked the smallest bit. "But I will remind you—and I will do so _gladly_ —that if not for that one fact, not _only_ would you be _dead_ , but never again would you assume yourself to know another. Because you are _not_ one with the capability to read another. You are the one who is read. You are the one who should _shadow me_."

* * *

Yugi stopped behind him several steps away, breathing in deeply. He had to struggle to fight off the urge to simply turn and flee immediately. His stomach tossed and he forced himself to take the smallest of steps he could manage. He stayed close to the wall, wishing nothing more than to blend into the shadows like Yami was so capable of doing. But thinking the deity's name was enough alone to make him shiver and a harsh coil of dread centered in his belly.

What happened if the hitchhiker harmed him now? Could Yami counter the recklessness he was so sure to display? The thought made him quake, foolish and timid, and he felt weak as he forced himself to stagger forward another step. It was wave after wave of weakness. Yami had a million different things that could be used against him. And that alone was enough to make Yugi feel once more that he might vomit.

The pain ripped through him as if to shred his entire being and leave nothing but his thin bones.

"I sense you there, you little brat." The words were snickered at him. And Yugi hesitated. The hitchhiker's voice slithered through the air like a snake. And he felt as if the very air were tainted with the presence of such a menacing tone.

The small teen narrowed his eyes, startled despite himself. He should have known that the bastard would be able to notice him. His lips curled back over his teeth in mimicry of Yami, unable to suppress such a nervous reaction. He shook his head slightly, swallowing hard even as his feet began to move forward. The actions were uncomfortable, weighted, as he stared at his taller form with horrified eyes.

"Come closer, why don't you?"

"I only came here to—"

"Seek out the answer to whether I told you the truth or not."

Yugi froze for a long moment. He glowered at him, narrowing his eyes into slits, feeling disdainful and frustrated. "Can you read my mind like Yami can?" he hissed slowly. He bore his teeth and ignored the frigid temperature of the seawater which made his skin pull together in gooseflesh. "Did that come with your borrowing his magic?"

The taller boy glanced slowly over his shoulder. His purple eyes were dark, glowing in the shadows. They were like glow-sticks, lit brightly with a fluorescent shade of unnatural violet.

Yugi nearly shivered, shoulders rising in disdain. Such color set his bones on edge and his marrow hissed with his growing discomfort as hi fingers tingled with mounting hatred. He could not bother with the touch of iciness which came to him. The breeze was salty and stung at his skin but Yugi was still too focused on the hideous shade of the eyes.

He had never been so dismayed to see a shade of purple in his life.

The thought was amazing to him. Just one incident had managed to change the entire spectrum of color for him.

"I know many things. It's the privilege of the powerful gods."

Yugi snorted dismissively, disdainfully as he narrowed his eyes and stared at him coldly. "Then I don't suppose it must be working for you all that well," he scoffed in a vicious tone. He smirked when the other boy's lips twisted and curled upwards at the statement. But he did not object, Yugi realized. It was almost as if somehow the words were too true for him to protest them.

Yugi almost burst out laughing at the thought. If they were true, the hitchhiker should have been trying more fervently to deny it, should he? After a moment the small teen shrugged innocently and crossed his arms, ignoring the intent stare that was stuck on him now.

"You aren't powerful. At all. I would say, in fact, that you're probably the weakest god ever to exist." He paused. " _If_ you even truly _are_ a god like you once claimed."

"Oh? Is that so?" the other male drawled. His purple eyes flashed, then narrowed slowly into slits. His lips peeled back into a smirk of amusement and Yugi felt his stomach clench once more. "And by what means does a _mortal_ judge a god?"

Yugi eyed him for a moment, then smirked faintly. "On the grounds that not _only_ were you unable to find your own way from the Shadow Realm and had to hitchhike when Yami was dragged here, but you also had to steal him magic to exist like this right now. You aren't even _real_ like Yami is. You aren't a completely separate person from Ryou like he is from me. You barely even _exist_! You have to use _Ryou's_ body as a hollow husk of _flesh_ to get around to begin with. Or at least you did. But to remove yourself, you had to steal someone else's magic to simply _form a body_."

His smirk widened when he saw the glare that came over the other boy's face. He looked monstrous, wit a face that was too twisted to be human, and it made his skin prickle. But Yugi could hardly find it in himself to care. None of what he was saying was untrue. And this spirit knew it.

That's why it was so upset…

"You know nothing about power, do you? You have no idea about it. Not borrowed, not gained, not _natural_." Yugi narrowed his eyes. "It's pathetic that you even consider yourself a god. And then you claim that you're more of one than Yami? You have nothing to show for it. You've trapped yourself in a Shadow Game that even _you_ have no true hope of winning. And yet _here you are_ , demanding respect from the very person who dragged a _true_ god into this world."

"You foolish mortal boy. I have every intention of not only being the victor, but also of making your _pet_ suffer the most unholy of punishments." Yugi bristled at the word but did nothing further, refusing to give much more of an implication that he was upset. If the hitchhiker saw that, surely it wouldn't turn out well. But the taller boy had apparently already noticed. His lips had twisted into a hideous smirk and his purple eyes were glowing fiercely. "You date to threaten me when it is so clearly impossible for you to find answers to your own various problems? I could kill you, child, snap your neck like a twig, but first I must win this Game."

Yugi snorted loudly. "When Yami wins, I'll be the first to laugh in your face." _And then I'll spit on your corpse_ , he thought. Because, surely, by the time Yami was done with him, there would be a broken body on the ground and he could dance around it. "You don't even know who you're dealing with."

"Your faith is a misplaced beacon." The boy purred softly in amusement, purple eyes boring into his. "Do you truly believe that with all I am you are capable of fooling me?"

"No. I don't think that anyone is actually stupid enough to fall for the same trick twice," Yugi answered in a careless, dulled tone. He had not even considered that the hitchhiker might try to attack him again. It would have been far too stupid for it to do so if he had.

Yugi shrugged, glancing at his nails as realization came over him.

He had no idea what more he could say or do now. He had said what he'd meant to. He'd said that Yami was going to win. Beyond that, he had no plan as to what to do with the hitchhiker. And it was not as if he believed that the creature had any idea how to help Yami as it was.

He had not believed that for even a second. Breaking the Puzzle would have killed Yami on the spot. And then what would have happened? Yugi couldn't imagine that it would have been pretty if his magic was loosed…

"But, it's either me or him right now. And I can't pretend that my self-preservation is more powerful than my desires to save him," he finally muttered, turning to him now. He narrowed his eyes the smallest degree. "It's morbid, when you think about it. I shouldn't even want to save him at this rate. It's not as if I owe him something past my guilt. So it's kind of horrifying to realize how much someone is willing to sacrifice just to ease their own guilt. Or…when they're…inexplicably tie together in some way."

The hitchhiker eyed him with a confused expression for a split second. His brows had furrowed and pulled together and his eyes had become slightly hooded. But when Yugi straightened his spine and locked eyes with him again, the creature narrowed his gaze and relaxed his brows.

"So, why don't you tell me something? Who are you? _What_ are you?"

"My name? Is that what you desire of me?" the other snorted, peering at him with an amused expression. Yugi nodded somewhat, more dismissive than anything as he realized that the creature was toying with him. "I have abandoned my true one for now."

When he strode forward, Yugi steeled himself. He tipped his head up the smallest degree, forcing himself to breathe evenly. The hitchhiker stopped a couple of inches away. And Yugi could feel the strain in his shoulders where he'd unconsciously raised them. His heart was in his throat, beating at thrice its usual speed.

"As I am not so powerful as I once was, I will call myself by my former landlord's name, Bakura. As for _what_ I am, that truth is as simple now as it has always been. I am a god." The purple eyes flashed. "I was weakened, then forced to share a similar fate to your pet deity who wastes away beneath your sheets as we speak."

Yugi nearly flinched. He knew it, the being wearing Ryou's face knew it, but he wasn't willing to show it. That was a weakness that Yugi was not willing to show. He swallowed hard, then shook his head. "Is that why you had to hitch a ride with him?" he sneered. "Because you're being punished for something?"

" _Punished_?" the other whispered in a low, hissing tone. His voice was full of hatred and his eyes burned into Yugi's angrily. "I am not being punished. To punish one such as I, they would have to be more powerful. There is _no_ deity beyond my strength. No creature or force has the strength to punish _me_. It is merely a misbalance of power which formerly rendered me incapable of escaping the Shadow Realm."

Yugi's lips tugged up and his smirk became insolent. His entire body was warm with smugness and he knew the other could see it. "And I suppose that _Yami_ was the source of that then?" he laughed, shaking his head.

"You think to find answers through me? You are a fool. Why do you not waste your time asking your pet? He is useful for nothing else." His smirk turning mocking and his hissing turn grew darker. Yugi bristled, frustrated as _Bakura_ stared back at him mockingly. He ground his teeth together and tried his hardest to suppress the urge to snarl at him with the growing disdain which swelled in his belly. "But then, he does not truly know himself, does he? He has no idea what he is or his own identity, does he? He is blind to his place within the hierarchy of the gods."

Yugi narrowed his eyes.

"He is mindless of his own power. He has no knowledge of what he has done before nor how he came to become trapped within the Shadow Realm as he was." He was sneering now, purple eyes dancing. "Because he is far too weak to recall, _correct_?"

"Whether he remembers or not is nothing important," Yugi snapped, voice taking on an edge of ferocity he had only formerly known Yami to possess. His fingers were itching and he could _feel_ that wave of disdain tripling and quadrupling inside of him. Realization made him anxious, but the truth of it was that he _wished_ more than ever that it was safe to lash out at this stupid boy. He wished he could hit him just as he'd done to him just hours earlier. He thought briefly of Ryou, how he'd imagined briefly grabbing a knife to stab him where he lay in that air mattress. And he remembered the way the blood had speckled Yami's face when he'd lashed out and cut Ryou on the neck… "What matters is that you have the answers I want. So why don't you _tell_ me? Or is it because you don't know either?"

"What might you give me in return for the information you seek, child?"

Yugi was quiet for a moment, studying him. "What do you want from me?" he finally asked. He almost rolled his eyes, but then stopped himself. "It's not like there's a lot that you can do in this Game. You made the rules and twisting them would leave too much room for error. You'd be punished for it. That's what you're afraid of."

Bakura blinked at him lazily.

"I have a choice to impose things as well, don't you know? Your stipulations of the Game make everything noticeably harder for both teams and you cannot break those rules yourself without a monumental punishment." Yugi smirked. "Don't think I'm oblivious to why the Puzzle reacted like that."

"Clever boy," the hitchhiker drawled, smirking lazily. His purple eyes glinted with harsh laughter. "You figured that out all on your own, I know. Because your pet is far from capable of telling you such information. Otherwise you would not be so desperate as to seek it from me now."

"It doesn't matter how I found out. It matters that I _did_. Now what is it that you actually want?" Yugi snapped, growing exasperated as he crossed his arms and stared at him in annoyance. But the movement was not one to shield himself from the other, it was to comfort himself.

There was something dark and eerie in those violet eyes, something that seemed to worm its way into his very core and shrink what little courage he truly possessed.

He felt as if something alien had crossed through his skin. He felt as if it were burrowing into him and threatening to tear through his senses. And he felt sick, ill, as if it were insidious and disease-like. It was nothing like what he'd felt when he had Yami had first met. That had been a breeze compared to this.

This was…

Yugi didn't know how to describe it.

But it was cold and lifeless, like a shadow that was too dark or a spirit crossing one's grave.

Yugi stood there, however, facing him all the same. There was no backing down now. He couldn't afford to so something so foolish. He had to remain still and calm and face up to this. Because it was nothing that Yugi could truly turn his back on. Doing so would be forfeit. And he couldn't afford something like that.

"What do I want? I want your worthless pet _put down_." Yugi almost flinched, stunned by the anger that came with the words. Instead he ground his teeth together harder and forced himself to remain still. Let him sneer as much as he wanted. Yami was okay. He was safe at home. He would be fine… "But that will not happen for now."

Because Yami was okay.

Yami was safe at home.

He would be fine…

"Tell me, dear little Yugi, how far does your mistaken loyalty take you?"

Yugi blinked at him, then pressed his nails into his ribs. "How far does it take me?" he repeated cautiously, studying him for a moment. "I'm here…aren't I?"

"Yes…" Bakura eyed him as if he were a piece of meat that he could devour. "And how far will you go with _me_?"

Yugi recoiled before he could think straight. "I'm not sleeping with you," he spat. His nose wrinkled with disgust and he nearly shuddered. "Fuck that."

"No one said anything about something so disgusting. Your pathetic species always jumps to such…trivial means of exchange."

The relief that came over him threatened to knock Yugi to his knees. He drew in a deep breath, narrowing his eyes as he pressed his fingers harder into his skin. "Then what do you want…?"

"If you are truly loyal to him, you should have no issues with what I have to ask of you."

"Then _ask_ it."

* * *

"Hey…hey… _wake up_ …"

Yami twitched, then curled his long fingers. They grasped at something warm and soft. Another obsolete object began to bite into his wrist. His eyes flickered, then opened fully, fluttering before his attention caught on what lingered in his peripheral. His first instinct was to lash out violently. His hand curled and his teeth ground together. A snarl began to rumble in his chest. But it was gone again almost immediately.

He drew in a sharp breath, harsh and cold in his lungs.

He needed a cool head. He had to remember that.

He had to survive this Game.

He would not cease existence because of a penalty…

The thought calmed him just enough. Yami rolled onto his back, snarling low in his throat. The noise rumbled from his chest and he swore his ribs vibrated with it. Then he moved, struggling to rise to a seated position. His fingers twitched again and he closed his eyes halfway. His head was spinning.

Now he remembered why he had laid down to begin with.

Yugi had convinced him when he'd complained of a headache. He'd said the world was spinning and he felt as if pressure were building on his brain. So the small teen had gotten him some tablets he'd confirmed were medicine and given him a cup of water to down them.

But now Yami felt groggy, exhausted. His tongue was heavy and fuzzy with paste. And his head still ached, though far less than formerly. He reached up, struggling to soothe at the pain in his right temple. He swore the skin throbbed against his fingers.

Being human was _miserable_ …

"Get away from me, you brat," he spat. The human was hovering too close. He could hear his breathing almost as well as he could his own. Yami forced himself to sit up more completely. Then he dropped his hands into his lap for a moment. When he blinked his eyes open, the room was swerving.

He scrunched them up again, reaching up to run a hand through his hair. But his fingers caught in the tangles that lingered there. And he nearly panicked. He'd forgotten that human hair did such a thing. He'd forgotten that such a thing was possible. He almost flinched. The strands were oily, slick to the touch. And the knots were huge…

When he tried to pull his fingers away, they seemed to tighten around them. He almost yelped, so startled by the flash of pain on his scalp that he flinched. Then he growled low in his throat again, forcing it away.

He would not declare his weakness.

He pulled his fingers away, wiggling his fingers. He wished his nails were strong enough to rip the knots out. But the throbbing in his head convinced him not to even try. So Yami dropped his hands to his lap again and tried once more to open his eyes into slits. His lashes cast a comforting shadow across them, enough that he could relax if only slightly. But the lack of being able to busy his hands put him in a highly compromising position. Not only was it more dangerous for the stranger he now shared a room with, but it also made him feel incredibly weak for the moment…

Yami had the increasingly appealing desire to wrap his hands around Ryou's neck and squeeze until his windpipe folded beneath his fingers. He wanted to press his nails into his flesh and curl his fingers and slash until his throat was slick with red. The image of such carnage in his head was beautiful and all but overpowering. He closed his eyes tightly, forcing away the impulse to reach out.

In his mind the blood was bright enough red to rival the color Yugi swore his eyes to be. The thought was pleasing to no end for him.

He needed to stop himself, however, before his thoughts became more vivid. They were twisted, mutilated, and he could only imagine how precariously close they might push him to the edge.

He could not kill.

He could not maim.

But then what more could he do?

He was a weapon of mass destruction, a god that was suffering for no other reason than a punishment he did not understand. And he was all but half-dead.

He could not even _breathe properly, for fuck's sake_.

"What is it that you want?" he spat after a moment. He opened his eyes into slits again. "I thought you had run away like the little coward you are."

"Run away?" the white-haired boy echoed in higher-pitched voice, incredulous and annoyed. Yami almost laughed at the way he had thrown his hands into the air. "I just went for a walk!"

"You should have _run_." The deity focused on his fingers for a moment. His cuticles looked ragged, his nails long and almond-shaped but colored oddly dark as if with rot beneath the beds of them. They did not look nearly as sharp as they should have been. But this was not what upset him.

Was it just his mind deteriorating…?

Or did they truly look as if they were nothing but terribly drawn skin upon narrow bones?

"You should have run as far away from here as you could."

Ryou hated him that he knew he'd considered it more than once. He would have been lying to Yami's face if he denied doing so. But he was safe to remind himself that he'd come back for a reason, that he'd ignored the voice telling him to flee because he'd thought it necessary to help them. Had it not been for that, he would have run as fast as he could and far as he could.

He wouldn't have once looked back.

Now, however, he nibbled his bottom lip and muttered, "I can't find Yugi, Yami. Do you know where he is?"

For the longest time Yami was quiet. Ryou almost imagined that the deity didn't even hear him. He looked so undisturbed by the news that the white-haired teen almost flinched. Yami was not making any indication that he even knew the name of the boy in question…

And then, abruptly, his red eyes flashed open. He was on his feet in front of him, snarling. It had taken a moment for the name to connect in his head. Truthfully, Yami had not recognized it at all at first. And now he faltered, head spinning as he considered him for a moment.

It had been a simple word, meaningless noise in his ears.

Now it a siren of alarm in his ears, making him sway as he struggled to understand. Ryou had said that he did not know where _Yugi was_? That was what he had said, yes? If that were true, then…

"What do you mean you cannot find Yugi?" he demanded, narrowing his eyes into slits. Ryou flinched as if he'd struck him and the deity nearly trembled with rage. Pain flared in his narrow chest and he clenched his fingers as he bore his teeth. He fought to keep his balance, pressing his teeth against his tongue painfully. It was as if his lungs had begun to pull too tightly to drawn in air and he was shaking again, harder than before and with more rage than he could possibly contain. "This is his _house_!"

"It's midnight and he's been gone since before I got back at eight!" Ryou choked out. He had stumbled back a few steps and was gaping at him now. Yami could hardly breathe, his head spinning and tongue caked to the roof of his mouth. His ears were ringing and his skin felt hot, feverish with mounting fear. By the gods, this brat couldn't be serious. Yugi had been missing for more than four hours? Why had he only just woken him?!

Yami felt as if he might collapse at any moment. His heart was burning in his chest and he wanted to vomit. There was nothing in his stomach but he wished to do it anyways. He could not think straight.

"He's been gone since before I even got back, Yami. I thought that you might have some kind of idea where he had gone!"

"And how is it that _I_ might know, Ryou?" he snarled. His voice had become low and twisted, hateful enough that the mortal in front of him was visibly _cowed_. His mouth curled back into a snarl that, despite the lack of froth, reminded him of a rabid dog. "How might _I_ be the one to know where he has so carelessly scampered off to? Have you no understanding of the immensity of this Game? I am but a mere human! And he spoke _nothing to me_ of his departure!"

"That's not my fault!" Ryou snapped, cheeks growing red. Yami stepped forward once and the boy backed up with huge brown eyes. He had raised his shoulders and looked as if he might vomit at any moment. But the seconds passed and Yami simply stared again, eyes sharp and burning as they searched his.

Ryou looked as if he expected him to hit him hard enough to send him off his feet. The thought was more pleasing to him than he wished to admit. Yami wished he could have done that very thing. But the reality of it was that he could afford to do so. And so he remained where he was, staring at him silently.

"He should have told you!"

 _But he failed to_.

Yami felt small and weak for a moment, blinking as he struggled to process the thought. Yugi had failed to tell him. Had it been because he'd wanted him to rest? Or had he drugged him so that he could make a run for it? Had the Game become so terrible for Yugi that the small teen had fled?

His knees felt weak and shaky and he was dizzy again. His tongue was more swollen than ever. His head was spinning. He closed his eyes tightly for a moment.

"Maybe if you were nice, he would have actually bothered to tell you."

"Go fuck yourself," was the first thing to come to Yami's mind.

But the words were not malicious in the slightest. Ryou sounded more upset than anything, though there was an undertone of resignation there as well. Yami opened his eyes into slits, turning his head towards the desk. His reflection had grown paler, a bland silver against the smooth metal of the desk.

Perhaps Yugi had finally come to the conclusion that Yami himself had. Perhaps he had finally realized that, while he was capable, shouldering the burden that Yami had become was too much of a task to adhere to. He had feared he would find his weakness too terrible to support any longer.

He himself had wondered, feared it even, when the smaller teen might come to his senses.

And, had Yugi stumbled across this realization himself, might he have gone to hand himself over to the creature that had such similar features to the scared human in front of him? Was that what he had chosen to do? To end the Game by way of surrender?

Was it possible he had changed allegiances simply out of fear?

Or had he hoped to force Yami to act by way of doing so?

The thought made Yami snarl furiously. And then he spun on Ryou, baring his teeth and shaking with his anger. His voice came out in an enraged bark.

"Come with me. I shall wring his neck to the length of a giraffe's when we find him."

* * *

Ryou felt abruptly as if their roles had become drastically reversed.

The streetlamps were brighter than usual, casting dark shadows across the pavement around them. The trees from the small strip of forest looked like thousands of large skeletal fingers due to their lack of foliage. Their shadows looked as if they were reaching out to grab at them like mutilated hands, as if they were struggling to reach out and grasp at their clothes.

He shivered and glanced at the deity, both fascinated and horrified upon spotting him now. Yami looked to be the truest definition of the embodiment of power now. He had his back straightened. His steps were confident, not once misplaced. He did not stumble. He did not blink. His pace was brisk, his boots thudding harshly upon the asphalt with each step. For his shorter stance, he seemed to devour three of Ryou's own longer strides. And the deity cast cold glances about them every which way as they put distance behind them.

It was impressive.

It was almost empowering for Ryou just to see it.

It almost gave him the courage to consider this more than a suicide mission of some kind.

Yami appeared regal, more powerful than he'd ever seemed before. He was much alike the god he claimed himself to be. And, though he'd looked powerful before, when he'd lashed out at him drawn blood, Ryou had not thought he looked the part until now.

Yet, he was sure to keep some distance between the two of them. Yami was not friendly towards him in the slightest. And he knew that well enough. He did not want him to turn on him out of nowhere and lash out as if he'd threatened him by coming too close. When he jogged forward a few steps, he could see the red-eyed teen merely take note of the distance. He did not seem upset in the slightest and not once did he bother to attempt to catch up.

Ryou thought, however, that if either of them knew where they needed to go, they would have been running.

"You should be the one leading us."

The whisper was so low that Ryou almost did not hear it. He furrowed his brows, blinking, and frowned. Had he truly spoken? He turned his head in bewilderment. The grumble of noise didn't translate at first. But Yami's voice was soft, noticeably deep, and it carried despite the low volume.

Yami had not turned to face him, however.

So Ryou wondered if he'd mistaken some outward noise to be something the deity had said. It wasn't hard when everything around them sounded as if it were making some noise or another, hissing and breathing and whispering. But he noticed that there was a white frost forming in front of Yami's mouth, frosty as if he were breathing through his mouth rather than his nose. Ryou could just barely see his lips moving now.

The more he watched him, the more the deity began to slow down. He stopped walking confidently, instead pacing himself to match Ryou's steps until finally he came to a halt completely. His red eyes narrowed and his head turned slowly towards him. No longer did he charge forward as he had before. Now he simply regarded him, though a moment passed in which he remained silent and watchful.

And then he made his way slowly towards him.

Ryou stiffened, nearly vomiting. Yami's eyes were devoid of color now. When the light splashed across his face, his gaze was all but completely black. And Ryou was reminded, horrified, of an endless black well like a bottomless pit of ink or the ocean deep at night. He could not shake the idea that he was staring into an abyss…

"W-what are you…?" He blinked in confusion. Then he flinched as Yami curled his lip back and studied him. He got a couple of inches away, standing and staring at him pointedly.

"I said, you should be the one to lead us to them."

"W-why would you…?" Ryou shook his head, flustered. Yami was so close to him. He could lash out at any second and end him if he was so truly tempted to. It would hardly take more time for him to do that than he took to blink. He felt his heart in his throat, stomach coiling painfully. "That doesn't—"

"It makes plenty of sense, you stupid brat."

Ryou shook his head immediately, more than slightly horrified. Was Yami truly suggesting what he thought he was? He opened his mouth to object, his first thought that one of objection. He wanted to say that he couldn't find them, that he didn't know how he was supposed to. His head was spinning.

They didn't know where they were.

They had no idea how to find them.

Yami had to be grasping at loose straws.

He had to be at his wit's end, frustrated enough that he was asking him to take the lead.

If he couldn't find them, then Yami got to use him as a scapegoat as to why they couldn't find them.

That had to be the reason he was suggesting it. There was no other way.

But Yami had moved, he realized. Abruptly, to his horror, those red eyes were a mere inch from his and his body was closer than Ryou was used to anyone being. The deity gave off no body heat whatsoever. His eyes were cold like glinting rubies. And his lips were drawn back, a low snarl leaving his lungs.

"I know that you are able to sense him." Ryou was almost shaking. Yami was staring at him as if he dared him to lie. He was watching him as if he wanted him to be so bold. His breath was cold when he leaned forward. But it seemed somehow to heat rapidly when it came in contact with his skin. Ryou shuddered, somewhere between fascination and sickness at the thought.

His red eyes were glowing, keen and fierce. The darkness made them appear to dance like the very core of two wicked flames. Half of his face was covered in the cast of the streetlamp. The other was bathed in Ryou's own shadow. He looked like a phantom.

"If I can feel Yugi and he me, then you can _surely_ sense a parasite which once wore your skin and abused your energy," Yami hissed at him. "Tell me otherwise, Ryou. Lie as you wish. But you cannot say it and mean it. And I will never believe you. I know that you can feel him. I know it as well as you. Thus, you shall be the one to lead me to him."

"I don't—"

Ryou was sputtering, breathless. Yami's eyes brightened once, then darkened so hideously that he flinched back. He choked on the statement, mouth falling open. The deity was staring at him with such hatred it made his head spin. Yami snarled low in his throat, staring at him with an expression which spoke of a will that would not be broken. And Ryou was abruptly aware that if he did not help him now, Yami would find some way to make it happen regardless.

It might take longer.

It might be more exhausting for him.

But he would do it.

And if he won the Game, he'd make him pay tenfold for his disobedience now.

He yelped when Yami moved again.

The air whistled next to his ear. A violent clang made his head ring. The back of his skull throbbed with the force of the pole trembling from the blow. He gasped out a ragged breath. Yami leaned forward further now, his snarl lower than ever before. His fingers had twisted to curve into the metal and a sharp grating noise crept through Ryou's skull.

He shivered.

Yami was shaking now. He was looking down at where he'd ducked. And he loomed over him like a demon. His balance had changed, his weight distributed more evenly. He looked as if he might lean forward and grasp him by the front of his shirt and lift him from the ground.

Ryou squeezed his eyes shut tightly, waiting for the blow.

"You do know," he breathed in a steady, angry tone, "and you _will_ lead me."

"If you hit me, you'll lose the Game, Yami!" he gasped out pathetically. His voice crept out of a windpipe three sizes too small. He was shaking, at first finely and then rapidly, until he was quaking so hard the pole was vibrating. He was struggling to breathe properly, nearing hyperventilation. "And he'll kill Yugi first—"

Yami blinked, flexing his hand slowly atop the smooth metal of the streetlamp's post. Where his fingers had curved were long grooves. Some of the metal had folded inwards, but most of the paint scratched in hideous streaks of bright white against black. Beneath his hand, lower towards the ground, the pain had flecked away in several areas. The bottom was rusty and thickly clumped atop the metal. Yami flexed his nails against the exterior of it, wishing for a moment that he could somehow fade into it.

It would have been so terribly easy and mindless to step into the shadow of something. He could disappear into the darkness and reappear elsewhere. It was one of the easiest tricks he knew.

But that would not happen again.

It would fail if he could not find his way to Yugi again.

Ryou was still struggling for words, though he was unsure of what he was saying. His mind had gone elsewhere. He was beyond the care of Yami's measurement. His lack of will and energy left no room to worry about someone further than himself.

Whatever happened to Yugi or Ryou should this Game be lost had no bearing upon him in any manner. He nearly snorted in disgust, hate making his gut clench. The humans believed themselves to be most powerful force in existence.

They thought themselves too great to be lost in the grand scheme of things.

But none of them were.

When it came down to it, had Yugi not draw him so carelessly there, he would not be either.

As a deity, the fact was that they were all nameless.

They were all faceless.

They were a hive of bodies of different skin tones and hair colors.

And they served not a single purpose but that of his own entertainment.

Yami braced his palm against the cold metal once more. The boy was still struggling, babbling about something. He had slid to the ground against the post. He was choking on his breaths. He had drawn his knees up. His face was between them.

Yami pressed his forehead to the cold metal for a moment. His skin had become feverish. It was in such great contrast to the chill that normally ruled him that it made him want to vomit. He almost moaned at the sensation, the beauty of its touches to his senses. He wished again that he might fall into the shadow of it and disappear once more.

He ached.

His flesh seemed to pull tightly upon his bones.

His heart squeezed painfully in his chest.

His lungs were too weak, a pressure throbbing through them.

He thought they might break within the next few seconds as he drew in frigid winter air.

"And so you shall prevent his death by doing what little it is required of you to save him, yes?"

The words were nearly dead as he pulled away and stepped back. He still loomed over the pale boy, who gaped at him as if he could not remember how to make his jaw close. His brown eyes had grown wide, owlish and stunned, and Yami wanted nothing more than to cackle for a moment.

Thus was the face of which every mortal should have made before a god. Yet, despite his amusement, it was dread that singed his insides. His lips pulled and tugged, a snarl building up behind his teeth once more.

He snatched Ryou's arm, drawing him to his feet again. He was light in weight, as if he did not have much to his gangly frame. It took almost no effort in order to pull him to his feet. His eyes were still wide, his mouth just barely closed. Yami watched him, unblinking, and the dread grew for a moment.

He looked terrified.

He looked awed.

He looked almost as if he…might pee himself.

"Let's go," he snapped.


End file.
